EXORCIST II, THE HERETIC

US, 1977, 92 minutes, Colour.
Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max Von Sydow, Kitty Winn, James Earl Jones, Paul Henreid, Ned Beatty.
Directed by John Boorman.

Reviews in Australia were almost unanimously hostile and scornful. Apparently initial U.S. reaction made Warner Bros. call director John Boorman back and eliminate many sequences and re-edit the film to give different emphases. (The British Monthly Film Bulletin, October, 1977 gives the precise cuts and changes). While using characters and situations from The Exorcist, The Heretic is much more interested in psychology and the possibility of psychologist and patient sharing consciousness and, in echoes of Teilhard de Chardin's theology, of an optimistic developing consciousness in the world. Boorman took the film very seriously and lavished a lot of his ability to create striking landscapes and environments for his characters and themes. Most did not take the film seriously.

1. The impact of this film? In comparison with the original? The memory in the audience of the original with its theme, style, issues, fears? How much need was there for a sequel? The reasons given for a sequel: theme, religion? A commercialising through sequels? How well did the film explore the themes of the original, exploit?

2. The importance of the change of author of the screenplay and the change of director? A change of tone as regards language, themes e.g. violence and sexuality? The less emphasis on possession and Catholic theology and a transition to psychology, anthropology, spirits and overtones of the philosophy and spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin? Was the sequel credible in its presentation of a world-view using possession and its aftermath?

3. Critics and public were hostile to the original film of the sequel. The director re-edited eliminating many sequences and changing the slant of the plot. Is it evident that this version has been changed and reworked? Consequences for audience involvement and response? For the significance of the title?

4. The reference to The Exorcist and to Father Merrin and his presence throughout the film? The presence of Regan and of Sharon? The reference only verbally to Regan's mother? No mention of Father Karras? The significance of "the heretic"? As applied to Father Lamont? The meaning of heresy, its application to Father Lamont's behaviour?

5. The importance of the linking device and the summary of the original film? Its reprisal during the work with the synchroniser? Its place in memories? The use of the saw locations, especially at the end?

6. The focus once again on Regan? Audience interest in what happened to her after four years? The effects of the possession experience on her? Her closing her memory to the past and yet her really remembering? Her mother wanting her to have therapy? The aura of psychology? Regan and her relation to Gene Tuskin? Her refusing to open up? The importance of the synchroniser and her decision to undergo hypnosis? To participate with Fat-her Lamont? The importance of the shared memories and the identification of the devil as Bazzuzu? Identification with Father Merrin? The importance of Kokumo and Father Merrin's work with him earlier? Who was possessed and how did Bazzuzu possess people? The parallels of Kokumo and Regan? The effect of the experience e.g. her dreams and Regan on the roof tempted to throw herself over? Sharon's trying to comprehend all of this? The transition to the good effect of the exorcised Regan e.g. in helping the autistic girl to speak? The mixture of good and evil in Regan?

7. Audience response to the shared consciousness of the synchroniser, the physical presence of the synchroniser with its light and sound and hypnosis? Control and lack of control of the machine? The return to Georgetown, the return to Africa? The importance of the synchroniser when Regan took it to try to solve the mysteries? Its presence at the end?

8. Richard Burton as Father Lamont and his Jesuit background, his receiving the commission to examine Father Merrin's death by the cardinal and the cardinal's later changing his mind? Father Lamont's work as a psychologist, anthropologist? His experience in the prologue in South America? The encounter with Gene and observing her at work, sharing the hypnosis? His growth in understanding, the link with Father Merrin and with Regan? His understanding the African experience, his decision to go there despite being told not to? What happened to him in Africa - in terms of realism with Edwards and the nun, revisiting the place of vision? The search for Kokumo as the priest of evil and the treading on the nails, discovering him working in the laboratory? The experience of the locusts? Lamont confronting Bazzuzu and the inevitable confrontation with Regan? His meeting her in the museum and the significance of this environment? Sharing the train ride with her, the return to Georgetown? The two Regans and the clash, the fight and his ultimate destruction? How well observed a character? The focus for this film?

9. Gene Tuskin as psychologist, her work, the explanation of her background, involvement in the synchroniser, her work with Regan? Her fears, her helping Father Lamont, differing especially in the clash between psychology and religion? The importance of going to Georgetown with Sharon, the fears in the dangerous plane trip? Her presence in the taxi, witnessing the end with Sharon, the death of the taxi driver, the destruction of the house? The film's comment on the powers of psychological help?

10. The return of Sharon from the earlier film? The past years and the effect of the experience on her? Her helping Regan, her place in the apartment, revisiting Georgetown with Father Lamont and the effect of this experience on her, her inability to cope, the plane trip back, her willingness to die as the girl did in South America?

11. The significance of the prologue and the experience of religion and possession in Brazil, death and the reprise of this them throughout the film? The choices of Bazzuzu for possession? The importance of Father Merrin's earlier work, the experience of Africa and its visual presentation, the locusts and the biblical overtones of plague? Kokumo and his ritual for repelling the locusts? The possession of Regan and the locusts present in Washington and Regan's ritual for repelling them? How well did the film blend the various possessors and throw light on the themes via these parallels?

12. The significance of the locusts as plague, visualised, in the past, Kokumo's research, their presence at the end?

13. The significance of the synchroniser and its effect? How plausible?

14. The film relied much on environments and their visual presentation; the Catholic Church, the Vatican, psychological laboratories, modern city apartments, Africa and plains, flights through the air either by plane or on the wings of a devil? The research laboratory, trains and planes and Georgetown?

15. How interesting was the blending of themes of psychology, anthropology and religion?

16. Comment on the special cinematic effects for creating atmosphere, the environment, the yellows, in Africa, the vision, cliffs, especially in the sequences relating the depth of the guide both in the past and in the present? The finale and the shaking to pieces of the Georgetown house? The violence and movement of the final confrontation of Regan and Father Lamont?

17. The contribution and tone of the musical score?

18. How seriously was the film meant to be taken? How serious were its exploration of themes? A reliance on cinematic and fictional hocus pocus or not?