This page was created out of necessity. Given all the numerous shrines and fanpages dedicated to the newest fly-by-night popstars and other cultural ephemera, there are, to my knowledge, no websites dedicated to the great British film director, Ken Russell.

Here is my attempt to fill that void.

The Devils (1971)
Quite arguably this is Ken Russell's masterpiece. It is horrifying not only in content and realization, but it is horrifying because it so accurately captures the most depraved, most base, shadow side of humanity. "The Devils" is unparalleled in its delineation of the extremes people go to in order to preserve belief systems and in its exposure of abuse of power. Foucault and Bateson, eat your heart out.

The story, adapted from Aldous Huxley's "The Devils of Loudon" and loosely based on historical fact, centers around a rebel priest, Father Grandier, caught between his faith and his humanity. The monarchy of Inquistion-obsessed France seeks to destroy the Protestant-leaning town of Loudon. The only way the powers that be can destroy Loudon is to attack Father Grandier, whose liberalism threatens to steer Loudon farther away from Catholicism and thus from the influence of the throne. Cardinal Richeleau sends a troop of morally bankrupt, power hungry freaks to Loudon so that they might turn the citizens against Grandier. Through a series of diabolical manipulations and inescapable double binds, the Church successfully whips Loudon into a religious frenzy whose energy is directed against Grandier. In the end, Grandier--whose only sin is his own sexuality and pride--nobly sacrifices his life so as not to sacrifice his integrity.

The acting, sets, soundtrack, visuals, and direction come together to create a sadomasochistic mania. Russell wanted to depict that extreme boundary between pleasure and pain, beauty and depravity, and he succeeds brilliantly. Although Oliver Reed as Grandier delivers nearly every line at one hundred plus decibels, it is undoubtedly the finest performance of his career. Reed is finally up to the task of portraying a multidimensional complex character and succeeds in evoking sympathy for the predicament his character finds himself in. Vanessa Redgrave is positively wicked and twisted as the deformed Sister Jeanne. The supporting cast is equally up to the task of creating a warped sensibility. Of particular interest are Murray Melvin's androgyne whose facial expressions provide needed comic relief and the anachronistic (blue tinted shades in the 1600's??) exorcist (No, that's not Warren Zevon.) Peter Maxwell Davies's score is the musical equivalent of a Hieronymous Bosch painting--Dionysian, primal, and repulsive. Russell's imagination is in top form with numerous memorable sequences. Much of the visual credit might be given to Derek Jarman, the future director who was set designer for the film.

Those critics who chastised Russell for the film's decadence and perversity did not fully understand the work. For here Russell's extravagance is "spot on" for the material he is working on. With appropriate distance, it is certain that this film will achieve the classic status it so deserves.

Bottom Line: One of only a handful of films ever created that deservedly be called a horror film. A classic which improves with time. Russell succeeds triumphantly in capturing the extreme cruelty and depravity potential in humanity. Truly disturbing and unforgettable.

Scenes to Watch for:
(1) Opening scene
(2) Redgrave's Christ hallucination.
(3) Infamous "Bye-bye blackbird" scene
(4) Witches orgy (not available on most versions)
(5) exorcism of Redgrave
(6) Finale and credits

What the Critics Had to Say:

---"Despite undeniable technical proficiency, this is its writer-director's most outrageously sick film to date."---
Halliwell's Film and Video Guide.

---"Derek Jarman's sets, however, still look terrific."---Time Out Film Guide.

 

 

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