Also released as
- Ken Russell's Film of The Devils
- Οι Δαιμονισμένες
- I Diavoli
- Les Diables
- Djevlene
Filed under
The Devils
The Devils is a 1971 British possession film directed by Ken Russell.
Ken Russell's best film, cut in every territory it has ever played, and still not properly released.
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Based on a real case, the Loudun possessions of 1634, and on Aldous Huxley's book about it. Russell's argument is that the possession was political theatre from the first day: a hunchbacked nun with an obsession, a priest who was politically inconvenient, and a state that needed the town's fortifications pulled down.
Derek Jarman designed the sets, which are white tile and look like a hospital rather than a cathedral, and are the reason the film still looks modern. Oliver Reed is extraordinary in it and thought so too.
Warner has never released the full version. The most complete cut anybody has assembled runs 111 minutes and exists because a BFI curator found the trims in a vault.
Banned, seized, prosecuted
Elsewhere
- UK cut · BBFC · 1971 onward. Cut on every UK release it has ever had. Warner has still not issued the complete film; the most complete assembly runs 111 minutes and exists because a BFI curator located the trims in a vault.
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Trailer
The sleeves
The same film, sold as a different film in each territory. Click any of them.
Where to watch
No legal stream, rental or disc found in the regions we check. For a lot of these that is the normal state of affairs.
Written about
- Films still banned in Britain and the cuts that stand
No list of films banned in the UK exists: the titles still missing whole are held back by standing BBFC cuts, by councils and by rights holders.
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- Next in Possession / Demonic: The Exorcist (1973) →
- Next in Witchcraft: The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) →