The recognizable face of fear: Domestication and redemption of the animal monster in The Exorcist

• Main Author: Marcia Heloisa Amarante Gonçalves
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Federal Fluminense 2013-12-01
• Series: Gragoatá
• Subjects: Animalidade; monstruosidade; domesticação; psicopompo
• Online Access: http://www.gragoata.uff.br/index.php/gragoata/article/view/35

This article analyses the function of animal traits in the transformation from human to monster in the movie “The Exorcist”, based on the homonymous best-seller by William Peter Blatty. Released in 1973, it remains one of the most disturbing accomplishments of Horror cinema and stands as a seminal work of the demonic movie subgenre. The Horror narrative describes a journey in which the animal, by virtue of its ubiquitous presence in our lives, frequently acts as a psychopomp. Although the depiction of animality as a mark of villainy has been detrimental to our perception of some animals, it has nevertheless contributed to an ongoing reflection about the human-animal relationship. Horror narratives remain the main locus of animality in works of fiction, for their unrivalled ability to gather archetypical representations and   to invite us to experience a vicarious confrontation with our own repressed fears. The article proposes a reflection on animality as a path to reintegration of the Self, defending the endurance of animal monsters in the Horror genre.