The Exorcist induces fear in the viewer by using numerous methods. The uses of these methods have made a dramatic impact on scary movies over the course of cinematic history. Whether it is something as simple as scary music or if it is as deep and complex as a psychological mind game, The Exorcist pulls it off with flying colors! .
Almost everyone in their lifetime has sat down and watched a "scary movie" at least once. But, have you ever thought of why the movie scared you? Now, I"m not talking about when a man with half a face jumps in front of the screen out of nowhere. I"m talking about all of the underlying things that are in a movie that contribute to its terror. Well, I have searched for why movies scare us and it is very interesting to realize all of the things that sub-consciously tap on our scary bone.
The movie The Exorcist uses music as one way to inflict fear into the viewers. Not only does the music reflect the current mood of the scene but, it also foreshadows scary events. Numerous times during the movie a character would be walking down a hall or sitting in a quiet room; and the music would change to indicate that something wasn't right and something was going to happen. When the music does that, the viewer's suspense level sub-consciously rises with anticipation. The director takes an otherwise mediocre scene and makes it scare the hell out of you!.
Another tactic that is used to plant a scary seed in the viewer is the use of history. Not necessarily the history of the real world but, history that occurs in the movie. The Exorcist successfully uses this method quite a few times throughout the movie. At the beginning of the movie, there is an archeological dig occurring over seas. Some of the findings there are quite disturbing. While unearthing some of these artifacts many mysterious things happen. Numerous statues and trinkets are shown and are believed to give off some sort of evil aura.