The Devil's Playground

1976

1h 47m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

66%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Students and faculty handle lust at a Roman Catholic boys school in Australia.

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

Schepisi is a rarity -- an artist whose sense of justice and proportion is as highly developed as his sensual aesthetic. He’s sane and balanced in his treatment of the characters.

Sep 18, 2023

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Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

Playground is such a completely and thoroughly realized piece of cinema that almost every scene and sequence in it compels admiration.

Apr 27, 2018

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Michael Bronski

Gay Community News (Boston)

It is beautiful to look at, intelligent (for the most part), and beautifully done.

Sep 9, 2022

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Clancy Sigel

The Spectator

An outstandingly good Australian import.

Oct 23, 2015

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Never caught my interest.

Rated: B-

Jun 9, 2014

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Andrew L. Urban

Urban Cinefile

Everyone makes a terrific contribution as Schepisi peels away the surface to reveal a morass of personal demons

Oct 31, 2008

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Audience Member

One of the most successful Australian films to come out of the early 1970s This takes place at an all boys Roman Catholic school where growing up, hormones, and teenage lust start to take over in 1953 This handles the trials of the flesh and the tensions that arise, for both Brothers and students, from the religious injunction to control one's sexuality I didn't really grasp onto anything in this Wasn't a single character to care about since they keep cutting away every few minutes Who's the lead? What's to truly take away from this? Eh, some might enjoy this more than others

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Already controversial with the choice of the title, Fred Schepisi's directorial debut extends uncomfortably intimate vignettes of sexual frustration and spiritual doubts of brothers and students in an Australian Roman Catholic seminary.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

mike v

The Devil's Playground is a 1976 Australian drama film written, produced and directed by Fred Schepis ⛪️ It's good 🙂 I'd recommend it if you like this genre 👍🏼 While not perfect, this film is interesting to watch and was a trip down memory lane for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

It is about the world's largest cult,the Catholic church

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

takes a look at drama in a catholic boarding school.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

A group of boys in a seminary school as well as their teachers and superior struggle with sexual awakening and worldly desires. I thought it was going to be darker than it ended up being. Though it has serious undertones and themes, there are moments of humor and light-heartedness in it as well. It avoids being too sensationalistic and handles its very sensitive themes very tastefully and intelligently without hitting you over the head with it so much. Great performances too.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Fred Schepisi

Director

Arthur Dignam

Brother Francine

Nick Tate

Brother Victor

Simon Burke

Tom Allen

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Synopsis

Students and faculty handle lust at a Roman Catholic boys school in Australia.

Director: Fred Schepisi
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Runtime: 1h 47m