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The Devils

Play trailer Poster for The Devils R 1971 1h 49m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In 17th-century France, Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest's reputation.
The Devils

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Critics Consensus

Grimly stylish, Ken Russell's baroque opus is both provocative and persuasive in its contention that the greatest blasphemy is the leveraging of faith for power.

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Critics Reviews

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Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) What I find such a pity is that Russell should apparently so distrust his own skill as a mesmerising story-teller. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian What is quite certain is that Russell has been true to himself as never before and that in doing so, he will irritate, excite, bore and outrage more film-goers than ever before. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review David Robinson Financial Times Even more than The Music Lovers, The Devils reveals an infantile compulsion to shock and repel, cost what it will. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills For all its excess, this Devils also has an undercurrent of sobriety that demands more serious consideration than most of the director’s ouevre. Sep 19, 2025 Full Review Justine Smith Vague Visages While it is easy to get swept away by the crass vulgarism of his work, Russell uses his confrontational style in order to get below the surface of normalized and accepted institutions of abuse and oppression. Nov 21, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review More than its images of medieval exorcism or nuns writhing in demonic ecstasy, it is how Russell critiques and questions the institutions held dear by Western civilization that earned the film its notorious reputation and censorship. Rated: 4/4 Nov 17, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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DanTheMan 2 A literal orgy of splendour. Ken Russell's controversial tour de force, The Devils, stands as a profound and sincere commentary on religious hysteria, political persecution and the corrupt marriage of church and state. It is like a lunatic opera, an attempt to make a furious poem out of frenzy. An experience that pulsates and perverts, especially in those glorious moments when Russell slaps the sacred directly in its frescoed face, even while preaching their rhetoric of sin and salvation, nuns, priests, and cardinals are only human, and humans are nothing but animals. It's easy to be swept away by the film's crass vulgarity, utilising its confrontational tone to delve deep beneath the surface of normalised and accepted institutions of abuse and oppression. Nothing is safe: not God, not Satan, not man, not their collective meaning. Russell's direction is bold, brilliant, grimly stylish and stuffed to the gills with inspired visuals and intense framing, both provocative and persuasive in its contention that the greatest blasphemy is the leveraging of faith for power. The set design by Derek Jarman is just exquisite; his vision of Loudun is one of radiant whiteness, with every building covered in pristine tiles, which ironically makes them much easier to defile and destroy. Oliver Reed gives one of his finest performances as the turbulent priest Urbain Grandier, a man who, although not remotely saintly, is nonetheless so consistent in his religious and political convictions that he favours torture and death over compromise. He is well matched by Vanessa Redgrave's hunchbacked Sister Jeanne, whose erotic obsession with him fuels the hysterical fervour that ends up sweeping the entire convent. Another memorable creative contribution is the sublimely dissonant score by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, a cacophony of jarring dissonance that perfectly matches Russell's depiction of the breakdown of civilisation. It's made all the more impressive when you learn that this is the only film he scored. One day, perhaps the unedited version of The Devils will reveal itself; until then, even Russell's compromised vision retains its power to shock and disturb. It's a film of beauty, horror, and rage. It has heart and humanity. Even today, maybe more than ever, it's a portrait of hypocrisy and societal madness that remains painfully pertinent. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/12/25 Full Review John W The Devis is rich and visually stunning. It is one of Oliver Reeds best films, in my opinion. He is superbly directed by Ken Russel, who even outdoes himself on this one. Ok, some of the scenes are a bit over the top, but that is in keeping with the historical setting of the film, being at a very violent period in France at the time. It is also uniquely terrifying and extremely realistic. It depicts a really atrocious state of human nature, when ruthlessness and mental illness conspire to bring down an essentially flawed but mostly ‘decent’ man. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review ja w It's such a heartbreaking and terrible part of history, yet Ken Russell portrayed it in all of it's ludicrous and outrageous filth. It's heavy, but it's worth it. Read the book by Aldous Huxley for more insight into this part of 17th Century French history. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/07/25 Full Review Barry C Quite simply one of the best films ever made as most of Ken Russell films of that era are. I first saw The Devils when I was 15 back in 1971 and I have seen it a thousand times since. It sealed my admiration for Ken Russell. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Sam N The Devils is absolute madness — part history lesson, part full-blown nightmare — and still feels dangerous over 50 years on. Ken Russell doesn’t hold back, throwing everything at the screen in this wild, visually bonkers fever dream. Censors and studio execs butchered it when it came out in ’71. Warner Bros still won’t touch the fully uncut version, even though the missing bits were found and restored in 2004. The infamous “rape of Christ” scene? Still locked in the vault. But plenty argue it critiques blasphemy rather than indulging in it. At its heart, The Devils is a furious, no-holds-barred rant about what happens when religion and politics get too cosy, and how those in charge can whip people into a frenzy to keep their grip on power. Oliver Reed is pure charisma as Grandier, swaggering through the chaos, while Vanessa Redgrave is hypnotically unhinged. Russell directs like a man possessed, and Derek Jarman’s sets are weird, stark, and unforgettable. It’s messy, noisy, and suitably uncomfortable — which is entirely the point. Despite all the drama around it, The Devils still hits hard today, especially in a world where truth feels optional and politics is pure theatre. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/22/25 Full Review Audience Member This movie was def an experiece, i can't say it was pleassant, tecnically it's a good film, but i don't want to watch it ever again. Pd: the scene with the crazy zoom ins cracked me up Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Devils

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 17th-century France, Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest's reputation.
Director
Ken Russell
Producer
Ken Russell, Robert H. Solo
Screenwriter
Aldous Huxley, Ken Russell, John Whiting
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co
Warner Brothers, Russo Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 16, 1971, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 13, 2017
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Mono