Wow, this was incredible. Easily Ken Russell's masterpiece. Reed and Redgrave have never been better, but the entire cast (and crew) is at the top of their game here. It's downright criminal that Warner Bros. (i.e. Alan Horn) is doing everything in their power to prevent the original, uncut version of this from being released (or even screened). Oh, the irony of a film about religious fanaticism and hypocrisy being held hostage by a hypocritical religious fanatic. Sigh...
By half way through I was wondering why this wasn’t also tagged as a comedy, there are parts I found genuinely hilarious in a twisted ‘a clockwork orange’ and ‘the favorite’ kind of way.
God Damn! Beautiful, atrocious, blasphemous, filled to the brim with black humor and irony. The performances by the actors are stellar, one can't take their eyes off Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave. Michael Gothard who plays the most heretical hippy priest is so weird, borderline anachronistic, but it works so well.
These actors also serve to elevate the themes around performance in The Devils. The way the exorcisms, possessions and torture all serve as a spectacle to a hungry, raving crowd, showcase so much how religion is used as a tool. A perverse tool to manipulate and promote often evil whims and schemes.
I would highly recommend the Hardcore History Podcast episode "Painfotainment" as an accompaniment to this movie. Touches on similar themes around public torture and execution as spectacle.
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MrE2Me
Wow, this was incredible. Easily Ken Russell's masterpiece. Reed and Redgrave have never been better, but the entire cast (and crew) is at the top of their game here. It's downright criminal that Warner Bros. (i.e. Alan Horn) is doing everything in their power to prevent the original, uncut version of this from being released (or even screened). Oh, the irony of a film about religious fanaticism and hypocrisy being held hostage by a hypocritical religious fanatic. Sigh...St. Gloede
Such a fantastic film! Watch it!!! Just as good as Witchfinder General!george4mon
By half way through I was wondering why this wasn’t also tagged as a comedy, there are parts I found genuinely hilarious in a twisted ‘a clockwork orange’ and ‘the favorite’ kind of way.angrychairman
I saw this on 35mm in Chicago last night. It was an amazing experienceOutcaster
Masterpiece!mcmakattack
Hooptober XSatan/Devil centered films, Directors: Russell
God Damn! Beautiful, atrocious, blasphemous, filled to the brim with black humor and irony. The performances by the actors are stellar, one can't take their eyes off Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave. Michael Gothard who plays the most heretical hippy priest is so weird, borderline anachronistic, but it works so well.
These actors also serve to elevate the themes around performance in The Devils. The way the exorcisms, possessions and torture all serve as a spectacle to a hungry, raving crowd, showcase so much how religion is used as a tool. A perverse tool to manipulate and promote often evil whims and schemes.
I would highly recommend the Hardcore History Podcast episode "Painfotainment" as an accompaniment to this movie. Touches on similar themes around public torture and execution as spectacle.
daisyaday
https://archive.org/details/7.8-the-devils-1971-un-cut.samoan
Available via Shudder.tv at the momentmonty
Watch the still banned "Rape of Christ" scene here(starting at 0:49):
(mod-edit: dead link removed)
leannan
Come on Netflix, why you no has?nicolaskrizan
sex, religion, politicshttp://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/1156/
mightysparks
I would like to buy this film, not The Devil Wears Prada!