#111: KEN RUSSELL'S THE DEVILS (1971)

 

STARRING: Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed, Dudley Sutton, Gemma Jones, Georgina Hale, Murray Melvin and Michael Gothard. Written and directed by Ken Russell. Cinematography by David Watkin. Production design by Derek Jarman. Budget $4.8 million. Originally released in 1971. Running time 115 minutes.

The film tells the harrowing story of 17th-Century Catholic priest Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) who was accused of witchcraft by Sister Jeanne des Anges (Vanessa Redgrave), the physically disabled head of a convent of sexually repressed nuns who was being used as a means of usurping Grandier by Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) and the Baron De Laubardemont (Dudley Sutton) for their own political gain. It does not end well, leading at first to accusations of demonic possession, to repeated exorcisms and culminating in a debaunched naked orgy in a cathedral that leads to the symbolic rape of Jesus Christ, to Grandier's conviction for witchcraft, interrogation and final brutal public execution at the hands of the Catholic church.

Originally released in 1971 this fantastically controversial film, perhaps one of the most controversial ever made, was banned in several countries (and remained banned in Finland until 2001) due mostly for its graphic portrayal of sex and violence and its intense religious subject matter. It was heavy edited and was roundly hated by most critics on first release. It wasn't until 2004 that a director's cut was finally released. Then in May of 2026 Warner Brahs premiered a fabulous 4k restoration at the Cannes Film Festival minted from the original negative and retitled Kenny Russell's The Devils to universal critical acclaim. What a difference 55 years makes. 

So, what of the film. What of the film indeed? It is raw, powerful and incredible. It is a film from that glorious era of film making, the 1970s, when original, unique voices could still be heard, where there were no test screenings or focus groups, where the nearest thing to a science fiction franchise were the first three films of the Planet of the Apes series, where James Bond was only 8 films in, and the nearest thing to the Marvel Cinematic Universe were the 22 films of the Carry On Canon. The acting from all involved is profound, Oliver Reed mostly known these days for his legendary drunken escapades is a pure tour-de-force, he commands the screen, his performance is deeply effecting, his character is a deeply religious man driven by his absolute faith, but who is also a man with strong carnal cravings, a man both devout who yearns to find true love, love that will confirm his faith. In complete contrast are the utterly sexually repressed craving of the Sister Anges as played by Vanessa Redgrave, who lusts, as do all the convent nuns, for Grandier. Her treatment at the hands of the Catholic church is truly brutal and Redgrave's performance is astonishing. It is so rare to see a film of such power, where its leads are allowed to act with such raw and unbridled energy. This is a film truly raw in tooth and claw. It is a hard film to watch, the violence is brilliantly directed by Ken Russell who must stand alongside Stanley Kubrick as one of cinema's most unique and instantly recognisable visual visionaries. Russell controls the chaos and the anarchy that explodes across the screen with complete mastery. It is also a film with much nudity, that seems quite shocking to the tastes of today's almost chaste cinematic audience. 

Indeed, it is a film that sits uneasily with a modern audience, or at least the audience I saw this with, an audience who thought nothing of arriving 10 minutes late into the film stumbling to their seats clutching wine and beer glasses and illuminated mobile phones. An audience who laughed constantly at the many scenes they found too difficult, or 'triggering, who seemed shocked by what they witnessed and emotionally confronted. And yet surely that was its purpose - to shock, to open our eyes to confront us, to make us uncomfortable, to question. It is a film about religion excesses and corruption written and directed by a man of faith, a man confident in that faith, a man not afraid to explore questions of faith and how religion corrupts as powerfully as any political cause. 

I found the film to be one of the most extraordinary and profoundly powerful that I have ever seen. I was moved by it's vision, its craft and the combined performances of its fearless cast. It was a film with a strong powerful message and scope that will stay with me for a very long time. And I'm sorry to say, it's the sort of film that will never get made again.

Ken Russell thy name is genius.

10/10