History Film / TheDevils

''The Devils'' is a 1971 biographical horror film by English enfant terrible, Creator/KenRussell. It tells the [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory semi-true story]] of Urbain Grandier (OliverReed), a priest living in 17th-century France who is forced to defend his town of Loudon from the Roman Catholic church, whose leaders want it torn down. The Church decides to instigate a conspiracy against Grandier, framing him for demonic possession of a local nun, Sister Jeanne (Vannessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Church's manipulation.

** Grandier utterly underestimates how dire the political game in France was at the time, and is rather naive in thinking himself untouchable - as well as the fact that the town's Catholic/Protestant unity would make it a target for those wanting to wipe out the Protestants.

Because the film contains many lovely scenes - such as nuns raping a statue of Jesus before having a massive orgy - the film was condemned by virtually every moral guardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. The film remains unleased on DVD and its US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it .

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The walls of Loudon are demolished, possibly killing quite a few people in the process. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil. Madeleine survives and is released but has lost ''everything'' and is clearly traumatized, and walks away from the ruined city into the wilderness, while the landscape is covered by spikes with bodies broken on wheels, showing the costs of the Wars of Religion.]]

* NaughtyNuns: In spades. Sister Jeanne has lurid sexual fantasies about Grandier, mostly involving him as a Jesus-like figure. This eventually causes her descent into madness. The other nuns are not above this kind of behavior, either. They're manipulated by the Church into stripping off ''in'' the church, desecrating the iconography, and eventually losing themselves in one enormous orgy......it's that kind of movie.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The walls of Loudon are demolished, possibly killing quite a few people in the process. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil. Madeleine survives and is released but has lost everything and is clearly traumatized, and walks away from the ruined city into the wilderness, the landscape is covered by spikes with bodies broken on wheels, showing the costs of the Wars of Religion.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The walls of Loudon are demolished, possibly killing quite a few people in the process. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil. Madeleine survives and is released but has lost everything and is clearly traumatized, and walks away from the ruined city into the wilderness.]]

* CampGay: Louis XIII

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The walls of Loudon are demolished, possibly killing quite a few people in the process. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil.]]

* ExploitationFilm: As many critics have pointed out, it is hard to tell whether Ken Russell is genuinely interested in the supposed themes of religious faith and corrupt churchmen behind his fascination with lurid hypersexuality and shock value.

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were nowhere ''near'' as bad as what the British censors did to the film). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[NauseaFuel the best]].

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Still not available on DVD in the US; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape, importing the partially restored BFI DVD from the UK, or pirating it online
** Part of the problem is that Warner Brothers studio owns the US rights to the film and it has been stated that there are people in the studio who find the film to be blasphemous and not worth the shitstorm they fear would be unleashed if it ever saw the light of day in the US as far as the religious right's reaction. Furthermore, any release that the film has would be the heavily butchered US edit, as Warner Brother's contract is for that version and not the recently "restored" version.
** Similarly the rights to the documentary on the making/restoration of the film "Hell on Earth". It's been stated that Warner Brothers has no interest in the documentary whatsoever in the US.

''The Devils'' is a 1971 biographical horror film by English enfant terrible, Creator/KenRussell. It tells the true story of Urbain Grandier (OliverReed), a priest living in 17th-century France who is forced to defend his town of Loudon from the Roman Catholic church, whose leaders want it torn down. The Church decides to instigate a conspiracy against Grandier, framing him for demonic possession of a local nun, Sister Jeanne (Vannessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Church's manipulation.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Still not available on DVD; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape or by way of obtaining online a copy of the restored edition that aired on British television a couple of years back.
** BFI finally put out an almost-complete DVD version in England in 2012, but there's still no Blu-ray or American release.

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were nowhere ''near'' as bad as what the British censors did to the film). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [ [ NauseaFuel the best ] ].

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were nowhere ''near'' as bad as what the British censors did to the film). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[ NauseaFuel the best ]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were nowhere ''near'' as bad as what the British censors did to the film). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever.

* RedRightHand: Sister Jeanne's badly twisted spine, which also indicates the state of her soul.

->''Ken Russell has really done it this time. He has stripped the lid off of respectability off the Ursuline convent in Loudon, France. [[CaptainObvious He has exposed Cardinal Richelieu as a political schemer. He has destroyed our illusions about Louis XIII]]. We are filled with righteous indignation as we bear witness to the violation of the helpless nuns; it is all the more terrible because, as Russell fearlessly reveals, all the nuns, without exception, [[NaughtyNuns are young and stacked]].''

''The Devils'' is a 1971 biographical horror film by English enfant terrible, Creator/KenRussell. It tells the true story of Urbain Grandier (OliverReed in his best performance), a priest living in 17th-century France who is forced to defend his town of Loudon from the Roman Catholic church, whose leaders want it torn down. The Church decides to instigate a conspiracy against Grandier, framing him for demonic possession of a local nun, Sister Jeanne (Vannessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Church's manipulation.

** TruthInTelevision: Most nuns in the Middle Ages often went mad thanks to sexual repression - and, as Sister Jeanne tells one character, most nuns are not drawn to the calling due to religious faith but as a means to survive due to the fact that becoming a nun meant you had a roof over your head and three meals a day. A big thing if you were a poor girl who couldn't get married and who was kicked out of your home because your parents saw you as a burden if they could not marry you off.

''The Devils'' is a 1971 biographical horror film by English enfant terrible, KenRussell. It tells the true story of Urbain Grandier (OliverReed in his best performance), a priest living in 16th-century France who is forced to defend his town of Loudon from the Roman Catholic church, whose leaders want it torn down. The Church decides to instigate a conspiracy against Grandier, framing him for demonic possession of a local nun, Sister Jeanne (Vannessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Church's manipulation.

Tropes:

* DownerEnding: And ''HOW!'' [[spoiler: The walls of Loudon are demolished, possibly killing quite a few people in the process. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil.]]

* IdiotBall: Grandier utterly underestimates how dire the political game in France was at the time, and is rather naive in thinking himself untouchable - as well as the fact that the town's Catholic/Protestant unity would make it a target for those wanting to wipe out the Protestants.

* KarmaHoudini: Father Barre, Cardinal Richelieu, The Baron. Though some of this you had to know was a ForegoneConclusion.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory

''The Devils'' is a 1971 biographical horror film by English enfant terrible, KenRussell. It tells the true story of Urbain Grandier (OliverReed in his best performance), a priest living in 16th-century France who is forced to defend his town of Loudon from the Roman Catholic church, whose leaders want it torn down. The Church decides to instigate a conspiracy against Grandier, framing him for demonic possession of a local nun, Sister Jeanne (Vannessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Churches manipulation.

Because the film contains many lovely scenes such as nuns raping a statue of Jesus before having a massive orgy, the film was condemned by virtually every moral guardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. The film remains unleased on DVD and its US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it .

* AnachronismStew: The entire set design, like the convent done up entirely in white tile.

* BerserkButton: Sister Jeanne does not take kindly to the news that Grandier has married.

* DownerEnding: And HOW! [[spoiler: The walls are demolished. Grandier is tortured and eventually burned alive. The possession is revealed as false, but no one cares. The one man who believed Grandier was innocent is committed to an asylum, and the "exorcist" who tortured the nuns disappears to do more evil.]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Grandier's speech as he's slowly being burned alive to the sounds of cheers. Even in his last moments, he stood by what he believed in.
* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were no were near as bad as what the British censors did). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences has been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and remains lost forever.
* IdiotBall: Grandier utterly underestimates how dire the political game in France was at the time and is rather naive in thinking himself untouchable as well as the fact that the town's Catholic/Protestant unity would make it a target for those wanting to wipe out the Protestants.
** Sister Jeanne is ever worse: she doesn't fathom what her revenge plot against Grandier will unleash nor does she realzie that she will not be able to control madness that will ensue.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Still not available on DVD; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape or by way of obtaining online a copy of the restored edition that aired on British television a couple of years back
* LargeHam: Father Barre
* NaughtyNuns: In spades. Sister Jeanne has lurid sexual fantasies about Grandier, mostly involving him as a Jesus-like figure. This eventually becomes her descent into madness. The other nuns are not above this kind of behaviour, either. They are manipulated by the Church into stripping off in the church, desecrating the iconography, and eventually losing themselves in one enormous orgy......it's that kind of movie.
** TruthInTelevision: Most nuns in the Middle Ages often went mad due to sexual repression and as Sister Jeanne tells one character most nuns are not drawn to the calling due to religious faith, but as a means to survive due to the fact that becoming a nun meant you had a roof over your head, three meals a day; a big thing if you were a poor girl who couldn't get married and who was kicked out of your home because your parents saw you as a burden if they could not marry you off.

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (who's cuts ironically were no were near as bad as what the British censors did). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences has been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and remains lost forever.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Still not available on DVD; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape or by way of obtaining online a copy of the restored edtion that aired on British televison a couple of years back

* BetterThanItSoundsFilm

-->-- '''RogerEbert'''

Because the film contains many lovely scenes such as nuns raping a statue of Jesus before having a massive orgy, the film was condemned by virtually every moral guardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. The film remains unleased on DVD and it's US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it .

* {{Euroshlock}}

Because the film contains many lovely scenes such as nuns raping a statue of Jesus before having a massive orgy, the film was condemned by virtually every moral guardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. At the time of writing, it is still unavailable on commercial release(unless you know where to look).

* ExecutiveMeddling: And how! The BBFC cut the Rape of Christ sequence for what should be obvious reasons. The film was banned by 17 local councils. Don't even get me started on the way the American censors treated it.
* IdiotBall: Grandier may represent the forces of enlightenment, but [[spoiler: impregnating the daughter of an influential local resident? And abandoning her?]] He sows the seeds of his own destruction right there.