Show Notes
In this episode hosts Diana and Audrey cover the incredible film The Devils (1971) in celebration of the 4k theatrical release by Warner Brothers Clockwork.
Ken Russell’s The Devils is a historical drama, based on the real life Loudun possessions in France. The film follows Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), an influential priest whose opposition to royal authority puts him at against the Crown and Catholic Church. When Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), the mother superior of a local convent, accuses him of bewitching the nuns, her allegations become a means for his political enemies to destroy him.
The film displays religious mass hysteria, sexual repression and political persecution. We witness Grandier’s downfall as a relationship between institutional power, desire and religious hypocrisy. With heavy implications that challenges the authority of both Church and state.
The Devils has had a tumultuous past with censorship and portions of the film were lost media. There are key scenes, including the desecration of a crucifix, that are pivotal to the plot but have been unseen by the public for decades. Even without these moments, the film still stirred up controversy, being banned in multiple countries and disavowed by the Vatican. Hosts Diana and Audrey cover the history of the production, why so much of the film was cut, and the differences between the censored version and the directors cut.
They also cover the real history behind the Loudun possessions, the prolific production designer Derek Jarman, the incredible composer Peter Maxwell Davies, and talk about Ken Russell’s life leading up to the creation of The Devils.
Go see the film while it’s still in theatres and join Audrey and Diana on a deep dive into this masterpiece of a film on this week’s episode of Video Vestige. Thanks for tuning in!
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