"If God wants you to suffer, then you should want to suffer. And accept that suffering gladly." – Urbain GrandierLike Braveheart, before Braveheart, Ken Russell's The Devils is a depiction of a historical struggle for liberty against oppression. Except, in this case, beneath the drama is a scathing satire. Highly controversial for its time, and banned in several countries, the film was given the "X" rating in both the United Kingdom and the United States upon its original release. That's even after trimming down some of its most "offensive" content. Nonetheless, the wealth of sexuality, sadism, and heresy present in the theatrical edit is unprecedented for its era.The film is unconcerned with disputing theology, but conveys a harsh reality about the machinations of power hungry officials; bending laws and the word of their creator to benefit their corrupt interests. Subjugating the masses, indebting them to the church through guilt of their own sins. It is based, in part, on the play The Devils by John Whiting, as well as its source material The Devils of Loudon, a novel by Aldous Huxley. Furthermore, each of these are accounts of the 17th Century Roman-Catholic priest Urbain Grandier. who inherits leadership of the town Loudon after the death of its Governor.Grandier is a debaucherous man who seems determined to tear himself apart on his way to meet his God. The kind of man who would yell at a defenseless baby simply for crying. And he does. Yet he is softened upon meeting Madeleine de Brou, whom he marries in secret. This act becomes a rumor spread by two spies under employ of men who seek to destroy their only obstacle in taking over Loudon: the priest himself.Thus, word of this communion reaches Sister Jeanne, a nun obsessed with Grandier, whose fantasies of the man are reprehensible (for a nun). Overcome with jealousy, her reaction is to fabricate a hideous lie. Grandier has snuck into her chamber at night, she claims, then proceeded to ravage her. To attain their goals, the web of antagonists use Sister Jeanne's lie to instigate mass hysteria. An event known in history as the "Loudon Possessions," where an increasing number of nuns made similar claims of night visitations from devils. I'll be honest, I debriefed about the history via the internet. I'm no historian. Shocking, I'm sure.At this time a witch-hunter is brought in to perform an exorcism. A sinister attempt to prove Jeanne possessed, or bewitched by Grandier, in order to indict the man. Through torture they squeeze out the confession they seek. So their mock trial begins.Oliver Reed as the priest in question gives a thoroughly compelling performance. Stoic, genuine, and perhaps the film's most invaluable asset. Don't consider this to be dismissive of the rest of cast, however. Vanessa Redgrave (Jeanne) is pitiable and spiteful, Dudley Sutton is heartless and manipulative, and Michael Gothard as the witch-hunter is maniacal and entirely despicable. With all of these great performances coalescing, the drama is Shakespearean. Or reminiscent of Alexandre Dumas. No coincidence since Dumas wrote a play entitled Urbain Grandier.The scale of the film is immense, often exhibiting huge crowds in a given scene. Including a massive orgy, er... mass exorcism. Know that for the audience it's a farce, and is in fact quite humorous. Alright, not all of us find humor in heresy. But like I said before, The Devils isn't a critique on belief, but on those who manipulate the beliefs of others. A story about repression on a grand, as well as personal, level.You could pinpoint some blemishes (for example: the hump of Sister Jeanne's deformed back isn't quite the same tone as her skin, and despite taking place in France there are no French actors to speak of), but nothing detrimental to the experience. It's rare that a movie is so successfully impactful. Depressing, comedic, and horrific in a way that's real. Had The Devils not been reappraised in recent years I might not have come across it, which would have been a considerable loss.Verdict: High Recommendation

Ken Russell's 1971 movie was released in a year that saw the directors of the counter culture movement bringing intense violent imagery to the screen that caused massive controversy. While its' brethren from that year, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and STRAW DOGS have been re-assessed and come to be adored by film fans, THE DEVILS has remained an embarrassment for the studio that released it, almost impossible to find on DVD in the US and still having only been shown uncut on a handful of occasions. The reason for that is probably not due to any of the often violent images in the movie, or for the copious nudity or masturbatory fantasies, it is mostly because the movie ticked off the wrong entity, the Catholic church.The movie is the story of Father Grandier, a priest of the people who holds great power in his town of Loudun. He is, also, not your typical priest, as he is more than willing to let loose his lustful cravings. He's, also, not a bad looking guy and that combination of those looks and that lust ends up in his ultimate downfall, as women who want him, or come to despise him end up playing a big part in tearing him down. Seems that a Cardinal is trying to gain power by sitting at the right hand of the king. The cardinal wants to bring an end to local power, but Grandier stands in his way by refusing to allow the walls of Loudun to be torn down. So, like many a leader in history, they use religion to tear those walls down. The accusal of witchcraft and possession from a nun who is clearly crazy sets the wheels in motion and from there bedlam breaks loose. A maniacal witch hunter whips the convent into a frenzy, a convent that just happens to be full of nubile, young women, who gladly unleash their sexual repression to display the work of the devil. Eventually, we get a farce of a trial and a horrifying execution.Forgetting the obvious subjects for a moment, the movie is beautiful and stylistic. This is the kind of movie that you could watch on mute, knowing nothing of what is being said, and still come away with a profound admiration of the movie because the imagery is that remarkable. Ken Russell said that he wanted to play with the idea of modernity. Though the movie is hundreds of years ago, the people in the movie think they are the height of modern times and the movie feels that way. The sets, such as the stark white nunnery, the striking walls of Loudun itself and the statue garden look of Grandier's home all seem like places from another world and time. The costumes are remarkable as well, from Grandier's flowing priest robes, to the frightening visage of the court judges and executioner and the rock star garb of the witch hunter. To contrast all of that are some of the images that really stick with the viewer, whether they are the horrific images of rotting protestants hanging on wheels or Grandier's burning, bubbled skin in the execution scene, or the sexually explicit images of naked nuns doing obscene things with candles and crucifixes or diabolic douches. People will be drawn to the movie because of the controversy and some will love it for the nature of the images, but it's the artistry of the film that sunk in for me.The acting is, also, incredible. Oliver Reed leads the show as Grandier. He is charismatic when needed, sensual in other scenes and movingly dramatic. He carries a power in his role that heightens the movie greatly. Vanessa Redgrave is, also, captivating, as a deformed nun who obsesses over Grandier. She teeters on the edge of madness and, perhaps, falls right off the edge. From the beginning, it is evident that she's not quite all there, but as she unravels, Redgrave plays the role as a woman that we never quite feel any sympathy for, yet do not see as a villain either. She is a complex character with a pivotal role. Perhaps my favorite character, though, is Michael Gothard as Father Barre, the witch hunter. He is a rock star of his time. He looks like it, he carries himself like it. He has an almost cartoonish quality, so over the top and animated, yet so intense. He is a maelstrom of wicked belief, so devout in his religion, so in love with his power.I guess that you can't review this movie without speaking of the controversy to some degree. Frankly, the movie is far more tame than I expected. Maybe that says something about me. Maybe that says something about how much times have changed since this movie's release. The version I have has the "Grandier's Bone" scene and the "Rape of Christ" scene as bonus features, not spliced in. Other than that, it is the full length BFI version that (to my novice knowledge) is the most complete version available for home release. While the movie certainly has its' share of shocking images and pushed the envelope in violence and sexuality, I don't think the movie would carry anything more than an "R" rating in today's world.I have seen a lot of controversial movies, in my time, that flat out suck. Movies like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST or I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE would have disappeared into the dustbins of forgotten history a long time ago were it not for the controversy they stirred up. This movie is the polar opposite, in some ways. It is an absolute shame that this movie isn't celebrated. Controversy has allowed this movie to be not lost, but locked up, and it's time that it gets its' proper respect.

I thought that Clockwork Orange was sick...This movie is not nearly famous as Clockwork, but it should be. It is probably the sickest movie I ever watched. After this, Clockwork Orange looks like picture book for kids.And at the same time it is essentially good movie. Unlike Human Centipede and similar nonsense movies that try to cover absence of any quality by tons of abominations, this movie is equally nasty and really good piece of cinematography.Just try to put your prejudice aside and you'll enjoy it. Even if it is too much for some of us, it's quality can not be denied.

Let's get one thing out of the way, I adore Ken Russell. Something about his aesthetic is totally in sync with my world view. From WOMEN IN LOVE to WHORE, Russell always impresses. His rambunctious, over the top, more is more style should be ideal for THE DEVILS. Unfortunately, the film simply grows tiresome. You get what Russell is up to--group think, religious hysteria, sexual repression, etc... It takes about 30 minutes to get the point but the film goes on for another 90 piling on the atrocities and turning up the craziness. THE DEVILS feels like a madcap Hammer Horror which is a huge compliment. THE DEVILS also looks amazing with a white brick set that is totally modern and nothing to do with 17th century France, and yet it never feels as obvious as the film. Bravo Vanessa Redgrave for a no-holds-bar performance. She is spectacular and displays a restraint at moments that you wish the film had.