Excerpt from 1973 film The Exorcist in which Fathers Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Karras (Jason Miller) are attempting to exorcise the demon Pazuzu from the body of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). Her body begins to levitate as the two priests chant "The power of Christ compels you!", whereupon it begins to lower itself back to the bed.
The levitation scene was performed live before the camera and was one of the visual highlights of the film. The article contains extensive sourced discussion of how the special effect was achieved.
Director William Friedkin had the bedroom set refrigerated to −20 °F (−29 °C) so that the actors' breath would be visible on camera, per a description in the source novel, even though that often meant scenes could only be filmed for a few minutes at a time before the camera equipment and lights warmed the air too much. This is discussed at some length in the article with citations to reliable sources. The resulting effect is particularly noticeable in this scene.
Owen Roizman, the cinematographer, discussed in a lengthy interview around the film's release the challenges lighting it posed, since Friedman wanted to use as much natural or practical light as possible, an interview which several paragraphs in the article are sourced to. This scene was particularly challenging, but Roizman believed he produced the effect he wanted whereby the scene feels like black and white save for the fleshtones of the priests' faces.
In the half-century since the film's release, "The power of Christ compels you!" has become a popular catchphrase, and the scene has been referenced in other popular culture.
It also includes the possessed Regan addressing the priests with foul language, another aspect of the film that was much commented on at the time of its release.
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