History Film / TheNinthConfiguration

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[Series/{{Titus}} Ken Titus]] and [[Series/StElsewhere Doctor Westphall]] take over the asylum where [[Series/TheWalkingDead Hershel Greene]], [[Film/{{Scarface}} Frank Lopez]], and [[Film/TheExorcist Father Karras]] are living!

* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:Kane dies protecting Cutshaw from the bikers. This both redeems Kane for his atrocities in Vietnam and proves to Cutshaw that there is good in humanity.]]

* CerebusSyndrome: The first half of the film is mostly farcical as Kane meets Cutshaw and the other patients at the asylum. The second half is much darker as it deals with themes of human suffering, sarifice, and faith, as well as Kane's tormented past.

* CaliforniaDoubling: UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}} stands in for the Pacific Northwest, where the asylum (a medieval castle) is located.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Colonel Kane dies from the bar melee, but the reappearance of Cutshaw's Saint Christopher's Medal restores Cutshaw's faith in God and implies Kane has found peace in a better place.]]

[[caption-width-right:329:some caption text]]

-->'''Colonel Kane:''' [[DespairEventHorizon You're convinced that God is dead because there's evil in the world.]]
-->'''Captain Cutshaw:''' [[StrawAtheist Correct.]]
-->'''Colonel Kane:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Then why don't you think He's alive because of the goodness in the world?]]

'''''The Ninth Configuration''''' is an obscure 1980 film directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1978 novel of the same name (itself a reworking of an earlier Blatty novel called ''Twinkle Twinkle, "Killer" Kane!''). Despite being a [[WordOfGod confirmed]] StealthSequel to Blatty's ''TheExorcist'', this story barely has anything to do with that film or its franchise. Instead, ''The Ninth Configuration'' is one MindScrew of a character study concerning the inhabitants of a military insane asylum housing troubled veterans from TheVietnamWar.

'''''The Ninth Configuration''''' is an obscure 1980 film directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1978 novel of the same name (itself a reworking of an earlier Blatty novel called ''Twinkle Twinkle, "Killer" Kane!''). Despite being a [[WordOfGod confirmed]] StealthSequel to Blatty's ''TheExorcist'', this story barely has anything to do with that film or its franchise. Instead, the film is a MindScrew of a character study concerning the inhabitants of a military insane asylum housing troubled veterans from TheVietnamWar.

* HumansAreBastards/FaithHeelTurn: Early on, Cutshaw takes the position that humans are only capable of cruelty to each other, and believes this means that God does not exist. [[spoiler:Kane's HeroicSacrifice and the mysterious reappearance of Cutshaw's Saint Christopher's Medal cause him to change his mind at the end of the film.]]

* YeahShot: Cutshaw at the ending with his Saint Christopher's Medal.

'''''The Ninth Configuration''''' is an obscure 1980 film directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1978 novel of the same name (itself a reworking of an earlier Blatty novel called ''Twinkle Twinkle, "Killer" Kane!''). Despite being a [[WordOfGod confirmed]] StealthSequel to Blatty's ''TheExorcist'', this story barely touches on the supernatural themes of its predecessor. Instead, the film is a MindScrew of a character study concerning the inhabitants of a military insane asylum housing troubled veterans from TheVietnamWar.

* AscendedExtra: WordOfGod says that Captain Cutshaw is the astronaut who was confronted by Regan in ''TheExorcist'' and was told that he would "die up there." ''The Ninth Configuration'' opens with Cutshaw suffering a nervous breakdown moments before a rocket launch, necessitating his stay at the asylum.

Compare with Film/''ShutterIsland''.

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Colonel Vincent "Killer" Kane was a bloodthirsty Marine back in Vietnam, and Kane's guilt from his actions led him to assuming the role of a psychologist in order to help others like his real brother, Dr. Fell.]]

** After Colonel Kane's nightmare (the one depicting the crucifix on the moon), he explains to Dr. Fell that it belongs to another person, his brother. [[spoiler:Kane and his brother turn out to be one and the same.]]

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Colonel Vincent "Killer" Kane was a bloodthirsty Marine back in Vietnam, and Kane's guilt from his actions led him to assuming the role of a psychologist in order to help others.]]