Movie Review: The Devils (1971)
Movie Review: The Devils (1971)
“Hell is other people.”
—Jean-Paul Sartre
The Devils of Loudon by Aldous Huxley
The set design and costuming are haunting, especially the stark black and white of Loudon. One scene in particular, in contrast, looks like the madness of a Bosch painting.
For those concerned about the torture, most of it is suggested rather than shown outright.
A dramatised historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest accused of witchcraft following alleged demonic possessions of sexually repressed nuns.
Description at Letterboxd
The leads are Vanessa Redgrave and the enunciate-to-the-back-row Oliver Reed, from Burnt Offerings. He was made for this role; it’s a crossover between Shakespeare and horror. He’s perfect for this priest who proclaims to want to save and lead this small, provincial French town, but also takes lovers.
Warning: although the torture is mostly insinuated, the religious scenes might be too much for some people. They are the depicted fantasies of the nun, and they are blasphemy, not to put too much of a fine spin on it. She is a sexually disturbed woman. There’s your trigger warning, in case that’s an issue for you.
Documentary about the making of the movie plus notorious deleted scenes are hosted on the Internet Archive.
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