‘The Exorcist’ director William Friedkin dies at 87

Director William Friedkin, who is best known for directing the Oscar winning films, the horror classic ‘The Exorcist’ along with the neo-noir action thriller ‘French Connection’, has passed away at the age of 87.

Friedkin had been suffering from heart problems for some time and finally succumbed to heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, his wife and former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing announced, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Some of his other big films included ‘Sorcerer’, ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ and ‘Bug’. In addition, he also made his foray into television with serials such as ‘Tales From the Crypt’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Space Quest’, ‘C.A.T. Squad’ and ‘Rules of Engagement’.

While these movies and serials were modest successes at the box office, they were all very positively received and over time have been given a much more positive approach. Most film analysts and critics have agreed that these movies and serials underscored due to them being too ahead of their own time as well as Friedkin’s very dark and serious approach.

The acclaimed director rode on a wave of success, directing the biggest classics in the 1970s and the 1980s, with his style of filmmaking completely changing the face of Hollywood, much like directors Ridley Scott, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and James Cameron did at the time making him one of the most iconic directors of all time, and as such a household name.

William Friedkin was known to rely very little on VFX, instead preferring practical effects particular in showcasing the most dramatic moments, with great attention to detail, with a nuanced approach to direction which was often underappreciated.

But his darker, serious and more gritty style influenced Hollywood a great deal, as people began craving more serious and detailed content as opposed to just happy-go-lucky films in the genre of fantasy, sci-fi and others.

His films also harboured a great deal of pessimism and carried a cynical view, which was only fuelled by the Vietnam War and later the Iraq War, as well as American military ventures, with some calling his films having a nihilistic viewpoint.