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Devils, The
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by Warner Home Video
Sales Rank: 2215
Price: $19.98
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Originally rated X, this film combines historical, comedic, and surrealistic elements to tell a tale of politics and witchcraft. In order to take over pre-rennaisance France, Cardinal Richelieu and his power-hungry followers will have to eliminate Father Grandier. Grandier controls the one town that keeps Richelieu from having total control of the region. The plan is to convince the townspeople that Grandier is a warlock and that all of his nuns are possessed by devils. The accusations are heard at a public trial - whose results may surprise you.
Viewer Reviews
I rented this film and Truffault's Day for Night one night, and showed them to a love interest of mine at the time. I showed her Day for Night, which she absolutely hated and despised (despite the fact it was a dubbed, pan and scan version, so she couldn't have used the "subtitled/letterbox" excuse many use). She stopped calling me after that. I wished I had shown her The Devils, as it would have warped her fragile, little mind and stayed in her subconscious for the rest of her life. It would have become a permanent parasite, popping up occasionally and messing with her brain when she least expected it. This is one of Ken Russell's most amazing, outrageous, and thought provoking/brain melting films. It is arguably his best work, where the frenzy and mania reach dizzying heights. It is not a work where there are a few amazing scenes interspersed with boring, perfunctory scenes. The whole film is perfect, and mind you, the version on the old VHS tape is not the full length version. That does exist, and some bootleg DVD's have been released with it, but no definitive version yet. The film is about the merging of church and state, not a particularly good thing. It is also about faith as well, and faith is a different concept than the church.
I am one who think Russell was one of the greatest filmmakers of the 1970's. Some have called him a looney, others a genius. He had an amazing run in the 1970's, but after Altered States, he just lost it, and he's never really gotten it back. Gothic and Lair of the White Worm have their moments, but his other work has been abysmal (especially his film Whore). The last I heard of him was an appearance on the U.K. version of Big Brother. Maybe someday Russell can capture his artistry, I don't know. But this film needs to be released uncut on DVD.
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Devils, The
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