Plot
At an archaeological dig in Northern Iraq, archaeologist Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) visits a site where a silver Roman Catholic medallion along with a small stone amulet resembling a grimacing, bestial creature are found buried together.
Meanwhile, Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a young priest at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's illness. A friend, Father Joe Dyer (William O'Malley), tries to advise and console him.
While making a film near her temporary residence in Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior of her 12-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair). Chris initially believes Regan's changes are related to puberty; however, doctors suspect a lesion on her temporal lobe. Regan endures a series of unpleasant medical tests. When X-rays show nothing out of the ordinary, a doctor advises that Regan be taken to a psychiatrist, whom she assaults. Paranormal occurrences continue, including a violently shaking bed, strange noises, and unexplained movements.
A film director, Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran), visiting the MacNeil home, dies violently, found at the bottom of steps that run the full length of the house, as well as onto a nearby street, where Dennings broke his neck upon landing. Lieutenant Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) investigates, and confides in Karras that Dennings' head was found fully twisted around his shoulders. Kinderman also speaks with Chris and promises to return when Regan is feeling better. Just after Kinderman leaves, Chris is brutally attacked by her daughter, leaving her with facial bruises.
When all medical explanations are exhausted, doctors recommend an exorcism. In desperation, Chris consults Karras, who is both a priest and a psychiatrist. During a period in which Karras observes Regan, she constantly refers to herself as the Devil. Karras initially believes her to be merely suffering from psychosis, until he records her speaking in a strange language which turns out to be English spoken backwards, and he is later shown Regan's abdomen where the words "help me" rise in relief in the form of Regan's handwriting. Despite his doubts, Karras decides to request permission from the Church to conduct an exorcism.
Merrin, an experienced exorcist, is summoned to Georgetown to perform the exorcism, with Karras assisting. He and Karras try to drive the spirit from Regan. The demon threatens and taunts both priests, both physically and verbally (including the demon using the voice of Father Karras' mother). Merrin requests that he and Karras take a break, whereby he administers to himself the viaticum, a sign of his impending doom at the hands of the demon. Merrin excuses the younger priest and begins the exorcism, once more on his own.
Karras returns to find Merrin has suffered a fatal heart attack. He attempts to perform CPR to no avail, but Regan is proud of it. Karras strikes and chokes her, challenging the demon to leave Regan and enter him. The demon does so, whereupon the priest regains enough control and throws himself through Regan's bedroom window and falls down the steps outside. At the bottom, a devastated Father Dyer administers last rites as Karras dies. Regan is restored to health and does not appear to remember her ordeal. Chris and Regan leave Georgetown and their trauma behind. They return Karras' silver medallion to Dyer, who takes one final look down the steps behind the house and departs.
In the Alternate Ending on the 2000 Extended Director's Cut, just as Dyer says his goodbyes to Chris and Regan, Kinderman approaches him to also bid farewell, only to learn from Dyer that he just missed them. He invites Dyer to a movie (and then lunch, when Dyer said he had already seen the movie), and the two depart from the house.
Read more about this topic: The Exorcist (film)
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