Satan experienced a surge in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the time, religion was becoming less popular (as was attending church) due to the sexual and countercultural revolutions. Lucifer moved out of confession boxes and joined Hollywood, starring in films like “The Exorcist” and “Rosemary’s Baby.”
“Rosemary’s Baby,” which starred Mia Farrow, started the trend of supernatural horrors taking over big screens. It depicted the devil showing himself by possessing children. In 1973, he possessed the body of actress Linda Blair, who played a 12-year-old victim of possession named Regan in “The Exorcist.” Yet again, in 1976’s “The Omen” by Richard Donner, the Antichrist infiltrated the household of the American ambassador to Britain.
But how come this genre became so wildly popular? It was the perfect blend of Cold War paranoia, feminist discourse, and ongoing conversations about marriage, motherhood, and the various hardships that women faced. Contemporary politics showcase a divided public with polarizing politics, brutal war, and terrorism, giving an apocalyptic energy to the air, as some people with dark humor like to joke.
But this concern that we’re nearing the end of the world is nothing new. History repeats itself, and the belief that we live in times of doom has been shared for centuries. In the 16th century, German Anabaptists believed that in their lifetime, they would witness the end of the world. This belief can be seen in Victorian literature as well, with Stoker’s “Dracula” and “The Turn Of The Screw” being prime examples. Just like the rise of Satanic Hollywood flicks in the 60s and 70s, these works expressed concern about the future of society through demonic children characters.
It’s not a shocker that when the Cold War was at its peak and we seemed to be constantly on the edge of a nuclear apocalypse, the devil would move on from literature and start popping up in the cinema. A central theme in fears of the apocalypse is the changing roles of women, as many feminists have observed. Movies like “Carrie” and TV series like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” showcase the idea of female empowerment influencing the world’s destiny. This can also be seen in films like “Rosemary’s Baby,” where Mia Farrow’s character shows the start of a new social and sexual movement at the beginning of the 1960s.
