Devils

17th century France. The charismatic and controversial priest Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) stands in the way of Cardinal Richelieu's political plans. When the head of the Ursuline monastery, Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), accuses Grandier of witchcraft and possession of nuns, religious hysteria quickly becomes a tool of political intrigue. The spectacle of exorcisms, accusations and violence begins, the real stakes of which are power.

Ken Russell's Devils is one of the most uncompromising and controversial films in the history of British cinema. Inspired by the authentic events of Loudun and the book by Aldous Huxley and the play of John Whiting, the film combines historical drama, horror, political satire and religious provocation. Russell creates a visually stunning spectacle about fanaticism, sexual desire and the mechanisms of power, in which the line between religious elation and collective hysteria disappears almost completely.

Since its release in 1971, Devils has caused scandals, has been subject to censorship and has functioned in many shortened versions. Today, they remain one of Ken Russell's most radical works — a film that more than half a century later still manages to shock.