Exorcist II: The Heretic

Four years after the events of The Exorcist, a psychiatrist treats the girl formerly possessed by the devil with hypnosis experiments and nightmare studies. Meanwhile, a priest (Richard Burton) follows the demon's trail to Africa and has his own trance experiences. As a sequel to William Friedkin's horror hit, John Boorman's declared “metaphysical thriller” was a sensitive flop and was even derided as “one of the worst films of all time” because it abandoned the shock effect of its predecessor in favor of a visionary trip. Advocates such as Martin Scorsese have long since rehabilitated this essentially serious, yet audiovisually absolutely adventurous examination of questions of faith as a milestone in cinematic fantasy. For Ennio Morricone too, Exorcist II: The Heretic was not just his first major Hollywood commission, but a misunderstood magnum opus in which Boorman gave him free rein for some of his most exciting soundtrack experiments. (C.H.)

Photo: © 1977 WBEI