"Now I'm Just A Traveling Man.": William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III

William Friedkin said he wanted to direct The Exorcist because he felt it was about the mystery of faith. Knowing that, I have to wonder if that's why he and the writer, William Peter Blatty, had disagreements when it came to doing a followup. The two were going to re-team to do the sequel even before Blatty wrote his novel, Legion, which would become The Exorcist III for the big screen. But they were unable to see eye-to-eye (a problem they had on The Exorcist as well), so Friedkin backed out and Blatty wrote a novel instead. It did feature characters from the original novel and film, but they were not directly related. Years later, Blatty wrote a script and after deciding to direct, a studio was on board and a new movie was in the works.

Blatty wanted the movie to retain the title of his novel only, but the studio saw things differently. In their eyes, keeping The Exorcist in the title was key, although Blatty didn't want to be associated with the second movie, which was a disaster in every respect. Given his battle with the studio (which led to him re-shooting an ending that feels as tacked on as it is), it's an amazement that The Exorcist III works as well as it does (I've read many, including Blatty, who think it is scarier than The Exorcist). The reason for its success is due not only to the effective dialogue flowing through the screenplay, but also because of Blatty's knack for unsettling and genuinely frightening visuals. Watching the picture again, I had to wonder what the first movie would have been like had he directed it.

The movie takes place in Georgetown, fifteen years after the exorcism of Reagan McNeil and the death of Father Karras. Kinderman (George C. Scott), the cop investigating the deaths in the first movie, was also Karras's friend and is still haunted by what happened that night. He spends the anniversary of the event by going to see "It's A Wonderful Life," even though Kinderman doesn't think such a thing exists. He's spent the last fifteen years a skeptic, as he believes "the whole world is a homicide victim." He still spends time with priests, but not to make himself feel better. Instead, it gives him an opportunity to tell them what's wrong with the world and ask why God would allow such things to happen. His thoughts on the divine are best summed up when he looks at a snow globe, since everything that exists inside it is make believe. There's something envious about the way Kinderman studies it; you get the impression he wants to go behind the glass where it is safe.

Kinderman's already bleak life is made all the worse when a grisly murder occurs and it marks the pattern of a notorious killer, known as "Gemini," who was stopped years before. More murders follow, with each one more bizarre than the last. But while the first victim was a child, the next few are priests, one of which was Kinderman's friend and died in a hospital. This leads Kinderman to consult the head doctor (Scott Wilson, classic as always), and it is here that Blatty explores some of the same areas covered in The Exorcist. While the first picture deeply examined faith verses science, this movie puts them closer to the same level. There's a scene where the doctor has written out exactly what he is going to tell Kinderman when they meet and even refers to the script as he is talking, which in essence means that doctors and priests both must rehearse speeches to be clear about what they are saying. Neither one of them ever has real answers; only projections on paper.

The hospital becomes the key setting once Kinderman discovers a man in the mental ward who he swears is Father Karras (once again played by the awesome Jason Miller). His interviews with the patient reminds of Karras's conversations with the possessed Reagan, which makes perfect sense since Kinderman is a skeptic and at that time, so was Karras. Strangely, the patient knows the details of all the recent murders and even claims to be the "Gemini" killer himself. The movie effectively shifts back and forth between the face of Karras and the face of the real "Gemini" (played by an ultra creepy Brad Dourif), letting the audience know that while Kinderman does recognize this man on the outside, someone completely different lives within. It's as if Karras is being punished for saving Reagan. The fact he is still possessed by something shows that his faith never truly recovered.

The most intriguing scenes in The Exorcist III are the conversations between Kinderman and "Gemini." The dialogue is so rich and disturbing ("Gemini" talks about how a dismembered head can still see for twenty seconds after being removed, so he shows the victim their body) that the images conjured in one's mind are equally as scary to what Blatty cooks up onscreen. In addition, the scenes further extend Blatty's view that people are ultimately weak to the power of evil and it's a force beyond their control. Karras's body is proof of that, as the "Gemini" explains that the body is nothing more than a box for the spirit and these days, he's become a traveling man.

Blatty is able to pull off plenty of skin crawling visuals, the best of which is a sequence in the hospital that consists of a long hallway shot and great use of subtle noise. If the build up is nerve wracking, wait until you get to the payoff, which is a moment that gave me the worst goosebumps I have ever experienced (every time I see the movie I still get them, even though I know what is going to happen). Blatty makes a lot of the scares all the better by providing quick glimpses so our mind goes into overdrive trying to figure out what we just saw. It's a shame he has not directed a movie since The Exorcist III, although given his difficulties with the studio, I guess it is hard to blame him.

If there's a criticism I can give Blatty as a director, it's his overuse of close ups. Maybe it was because he was thrilled to be working with the great George C. Scott, who brings a lot of great moments (and a handful of overcooked ones) to the role of Kinderman. Not one of my favourite characters in the first movie, Kinderman has gone from a needless plot device to a fully realized man who only has faith and acceptance in the things right in front of him: death and destruction. Being a cop has become who he is, since he is incapable of turning his back on the bad around him (like he is unable to live without it). What's interesting is the fact he is able to find the negative even with the positive elements in his life (he tells an amusing story about why he can't go home because of what his wife is cooking).

I'm in agreement that the ending is the movie's greatest weakness. While there are certainly lacking moments here and there, none of them feel as abrupt and unnecessary as the exorcism that ends the picture. It would have been nice to have a showdown of words between Kinderman and "Gemini" but instead, we are treated to a barrage of special effects and demonic imagery. There hasn't been anything very bombastic about the rest of the movie, so to throw it in during the last ten minutes cheapens the journey a bit.

The Exorcist III was met with mixed reviews and fair box office returns, but it certainly didn't garner much real attention. Given the reputation of part two, this doesn't come as much of a surprise, although I view the movie as a stand alone piece and not an Exorcist movie, even though it does share some of the same ideas. Released in 1990, this probably was the first notable horror picture of the new decade. Despite its minor missteps, it has found an audience as the years have passed, and why shouldn't it? The Exorcist III is a reminder of when horror movies were not about grossing us out or tons of sharp cuts, but about finding inventive ways to creep us out of our wits. Twenty years later, it still succeeds.


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