The Exorcist: A Supernatural Suspense Film

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A prolific film of the 20th century is “The Exorcist” which came out in 1973. This supernatural suspense film tells the story of Regan, a 12-year-old girl, who becomes possessed and goes through various exorcisms performed by two priests. The vivid imagery that unfolds throughout the film gives viewers a chilling feeling of the effects of demonic possession, but in essence, is a Hollywood and popular portrayal of this act. However, looking back to the Medieval times, we see that there is a different interpretation of demonic possession. In general, the Medieval concept of demonic possession was that an individual was possessed by a demon or evil spirit which caused that person to do deviant acts where the only solution was an exorcism. We

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