An Analysis of 'The Exorcist' | What was the 'Standoff' in Iraq at the Beginning? [Teacher, what was that all about?]

The meaning of 'that scene' that has been bothering me ever since I watched the movie. 'Cinema Sensei' (55), a man who has seen every movie, and 'Tok' (19), a university student from the streaming generation, dig deep into a single question.

🎤 Tok: Sensei. At the very beginning of 'The Exorcist'. In the Iraqi desert, Father Merrin, the old priest, walks through the excavation site and finally has a standoff with the demon statue on the hill, right? That scene, the girl and Father Karras haven't even appeared yet, and it's barely connected to the main story, but it's incredibly long. What was that all about?

🎬 Cinema Sensei: Many viewers get left behind at that point. Thinking, 'Just start the main story already.' —But that is the most important prologue in this film. I gave you a hint before. Try lining up that statue and the way Merrin dies at the end.

🎤 Tok: Line them up... Merrin dies of a heart attack in the middle of the exorcism at the end, right?

🎬 Cinema Sensei: That's right. Then let me ask you. What was Merrin doing in Iraq at the beginning? Even though he's a priest.

🎤 Tok: ...Excavating. He was digging up ruins like an archaeologist.

🎬 Cinema Sensei: That is the first key. Merrin is a man of faith, but at the same time, a man of science—an archaeologist. A man who believes in God and also digs in the dirt to verify facts. He finds an ancient demonic amulet during the excavation. And then, he confronts the statue on the hill. —That standoff is not just sightseeing. It is a reunion.

🎤 Tok: A reunion? Not meeting for the first time?

🎬 Cinema Sensei: Merrin once exorcised this demon a long time ago. In a faraway country. The moment he saw that statue, he realized, 'It's coming back.' That is why he looks strangely frightened and is sweating ominously at the beginning. He has a premonition of what is about to happen to him.

🎤 Tok: ...Ah. So that's why his expression is so dark.

🎬 Cinema Sensei: And the second key. In that scene, Merrin takes medicine several times.

🎤 Tok: ...Heart medication?

🎬 Cinema Sensei: That's right. He is old and suffers from a heart condition. His time is not long. Furthermore, in the museum scene, a clock stops. That is a classic cinematic omen of death. —Listen, Tok. Line them up. He has a premonition that he will confront the demon again. He also knows his heart won't last much longer.

🎤 Tok: ...Oh. Wait. Then Father Merrin—

🎬 Cinema Sensei: Go ahead, say it.

🎤 Tok: Did he know from the start? That if he faced that demon one more time, his heart would stop. —He knew that, and yet, he still came to Washington?

🎬 Cinema Sensei: —That is the answer. The opening in Iraq is the scene where 'Merrin half-realized how he would die.' His death is not a sudden accident in the main story. It was already decided in that desert. He goes to meet the thing he knows will kill him. That long prologue was there to engrave that resolve into the viewer's body. That is why, when Merrin dies so easily in the main story, the audience feels like they knew it somewhere. Because they were shown it at the beginning.

🎤 Tok: ...Wow. That seemingly unnecessary 15 minutes was the run-up to Father Merrin's resolve to 'go knowing he would die'.

🎬 Cinema Sensei: That is exactly it. —Though, this is my interpretation. The movie doesn't give a clear answer as to what that statue symbolizes or what Merrin saw.

🎤 Tok: Then, are there other ways to look at it?

🎬 Cinema Teacher: It exists. One interpretation is that it symbolizes the very history of humanity, where good and evil have been staring each other down for eternity. It suggests that Merrin and the demon are just one scene in a battle that has continued from ancient times to the present day. ——If you have your own interpretation, that is the correct answer for you. Feel free to let me know in the comments.

👉 Click here for a deeper comedic analysis of this film: The Exorcist Analysis | What is the True Demon—The Ritual of Three Beyond the Bounds of Logic

Fact Check

✅ The opening scene in Iraq is where Merrin confronts an amulet/statue of an ancient demon (Pazuzu) at an excavation site. Merrin is both a clergyman and an archaeologist who has exorcised the same demon in the past and senses a reunion (based on the original novel and film settings). Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lankester_Merrin / https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-exorcist/ ✅ Merrin is elderly, suffers from heart disease, and takes medication during the film. The scene where the clock stops at the museum is interpreted as an omen of death. Source: https://rennyo01.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/exorcist-iraq-prologue-its-purpose/ ✅ The demon at the beginning is not named in the film, but is identified as "Pazuzu" in the script and sequels. The confrontation between Merrin and the statue is shot in a Western-style "stand-off" composition. Source: https://www.revenantjournal.com/contents/the-demon-pazuzu-as-noise-in-the-exorcist-michael-brown/ 🔍 The reading that "the opening in Iraq is a prelude to Merrin's resolve to confront the demon while half-knowing how he will die" is an interpretation specific to this article. It is not explicitly stated in the film. 🔍 The alternative interpretation that it is "a symbol of the history of humanity where good and evil stare each other down for eternity" is also one of the readings presented in multiple critiques.