By Cameron Enzor
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/24/23 – The Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills has been a historic landmark within the film world since its establishment in 1938. From arthouse films & foreign masterpieces to event gatherings, The Fine Art Theatre still today is a special place to experience the arts in the ways they were meant to be experienced.
In 1973, The Fine Arts Theatre was one of the established cinemas in Los Angeles to
screen THE EXORCIST the minute it was released, enabling the drastic chain reaction that
this powerful film had on society and moviegoers alike.
With profound visual storytelling, stellar performances, compelling sound design, an
emotionally moving script, and a powerful director, this film introduced itself to the art world while making a spot for itself. Though, as overblown audiences were in 1973, they still didn’t see the full picture. Until now.
With restored footage, The Exorcist was screened in its parent theatre in its horrific entirety. This was an event I will never forget. You’ve never seen The Exorcist if you haven’t seen it on the big screen. At home, we digest the films we watch. But in a theater? Especially in the case of The Exorcist, the film digests its audience, even after the credits roll. Suddenly, in a dark room with nothing but a large screen, the film medium has the power to completely take over those exposed. A case of possession, maybe?
The beautiful difference between art and the artist is that art doesn’t age. It evolves. We artist humbly succumb to the laws of nature & are experiencing the insane phenomena of existence. Art, on the other hand, isn’t bound by such rules, as great art reflects the understanding of them in a profound way. Whether it be Michelangelo’s David or Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, if captured, art can live forever. Like a spirit not bound by a limited vessel, but instead survives off of its inclusion within the minds and lives of those around it to give it life. The Exorcist, after 50 years, shows us not how powerful film can be, but how powerful artists can be.
Director William Friedkin (1971’s The French Connection, 1977’s Sorcerer) shows in this
film his disciplined understanding of the creative process. Something only the great artists are capable of not just understanding, but practicing. It is a delicate, alchemic and humble process of which you’re giving life to something hire than ones self. Art can show facets of an artist, but art can also be the guiding force FOR the artist.
I do not doubt that William Friedkin’s thorough discipline within the making of The Exorcist was fueled by the art, more than his personal artistic ego. If an artist’s listens to the art as it develops, they become not just the creator, but the messenger. This is the closest anyone will ever get to truly understanding the very creative process of which employs itself in everything around us.
It is a powerful practice as well as a blessing for an audience, for the outcome of such
concentrated creativity can move a soul, touch a heart, challenge a perspective, or even change a life. Thanks to artists and auteurs like William Friedkin, his artistic dedication has brought millions and millions of people something immortal.
Engaging with this piece of art in such a significant cinematic landmark like The Fine
Arts Theater was an incredibly humble experience. I hope as the future of The Fine Arts Theater will continue to bring more great experiences that you won’t miss them!
