History Film / TheDevils

->''Ken Russell has really done it this time. He has stripped the lid off of respectability off the Ursuline convent in Loudon, France. He has exposed UsefulNotes/CardinalRichelieu as a political schemer. He has destroyed our illusions about UsefulNotes/LouisXIII. 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, are young and stacked.''

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

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[ZigZaggedTrope Zigzagged with]] Louis XIII. He seems to openly acknowledge that the entire Grandier affair has been blown out of proportion by religious nutjobs, and even mocks the fundamentalist Barre who's brutalizing the nuns. However, he does nothing further to stop the persecutions, which ends with Grandier on the stake.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Based on the historical Loudon possessions of 1634.

[[quoteright:267:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_devils.jpg]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Two notable scenes, Father Mignon during the "Rape of Christ" and Sister Jeanne with a very unusual sex toy. [[spoiler:Namely Grandier's charred femur.]]

Because the film contains scenes like [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex having a massive orgy]], the film was condemned by virtually every MoralGuardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. The film remains unreleased on DVD and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) have yet to release it]]... though strangely, they had no problem directly referencing it in, [[UnexpectedCharacter of all things]], ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy''. Its reputation may have inadvertently led to the rise of the [[ExploitationFilm “nunsploitation” genre]] in the decade after its release.

Because the film contains scenes like [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex having a massive orgy]], the film was condemned by virtually every MoralGuardian at the time of its release, and cut to ribbons on various cinema releases. The film remains unreleased on DVD and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) have yet to release it]]. Its reputation may have inadvertently led to the rise of the [[ExploitationFilm “nunsploitation” genre]] in the decade after its release.

Because the film contains scenes like [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex 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 unreleased on DVD and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) have yet to release it]]. Its reputation may have inadvertently led to the rise of the [[ExploitationFilm “nunsploitation” genre]] in the decade after its release.

Because the film contains scenes like [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex 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 unreleased on DVD and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it]]. Its reputation may have inadvertently led to the rise of nunsploitation films in the decade after its release.

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

** 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.

->''Ken Russell has really done it this time. He has stripped the lid off of respectability off the Ursuline convent in Loudon, France. 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, are young and stacked.''

Because the film contains such [[SarcasmMode family-friendly scenes]] as [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex 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 unreleased on DVD and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it]]. Its reputation may have inadvertently led to the rise of nunsploitation films in the decade after its release.

* InformedAttractiveness: Oliver Reed as Grandier. Reed certainly wasn't ''un''attractive, but it's difficult to imagine someone who looked like him to have the ability to send chaste nuns into fits of repressed horniness.

-->'''[[WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh Kyle Kallgren]]''': She finally got to bone him after all. ''[pauses for applause]''

* MagnificentBastard: Arguably Grandier, who ruthlessly games the system and while seducing and abandoning women...but still comes off as the most charismatic and engaging (if not exactly likeable) character in the film.

->''Ken Russell has really done it this time. He has stripped the lid off of respectability off the Ursuline convent in Loudon, France. 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]].''

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: After causing all the chaos and destruction, Sister Jeanne finally gets to have sexual contact with Grandier... In a way.

* HollywoodHomely:
** Sister Jeanne states that most of the nuns came to the convent because they were too old and ugly to be marriageable, yet as Roger Ebert observes in the page quote, the nuns are to a woman young and voluptuous.
** Sister Jeanne herself. Even with the hunchback, she's still Vanessa Redgrave.

* HollywoodHomely: Rather the inverse of InformedAttractiveness below. Sister Jeanne states that most of the nuns came to the convent because they were too old and ugly to be marriageable, yet as Roger Ebert observes in the page quote, the nuns are to a woman young and voluptuous.

''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 (Vanessa Redgrave), who is sexually obsessed with Grandier, and the perfect target for the Church's manipulation.

Because the film contains such [[SarcasmMode family-friendly scenes]] as [[ItMakesSenseInContext nuns raping a statue of Jesus]] before [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex 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 [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes its US rights holders (Warner Video) has yet to release it]].

%% * VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory

''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.

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 .