Ken Russell’s The Devils Finally Arrives Uncut, and Oliver Reed’s Fury Still Scorches

Every now and again you hear of a film that is shrouded in controversy, maybe the critical reception is mixed, maybe the film is viscerally shocking, maybe some have cited downright blasphemy, or just maybe you’ve stumbled across Ken Russell’s The Devils, a film that can take pride in being subject to all previously stated. The Devils, originally released in 1971, premiered at the 33rd Venice Film Festival and was immediately slammed with an X rating. Since then, the film has gone on to garner a slew of censorship and international bans, particularly surrounding Ken Russell’s taboo handling of the project’s religious themes. However, just like many controversial cinematic creations, it has cultivated a cult fanbase, one that includes the likes of Mark Kermode (cited in the credits of this new rerelease), and one that has nurtured a director’s cut rerelease that unveiled itself at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, 55 years after its initial release. Inspired by the true 17th-century battle of faith between the sexually obsessed Father Grandier and the sexually oppressed Sister Jeanne, Russell’s film is a maddening creation.

The Devils is built around an ensemble cast, held together by two central performances. Father Grandier is a role that delicately treads the line between headstrong authority and tender sympathy. Without a strong performance, not only would the film’s narrative be less riveting, but the themes and symbolism Ken Russell imbues in every moment would be less potent.

Luckily, Oliver Reed is more than up for the task. Reed gives an incredible performance as Grandier, a performer known most for this gruff grit applies just enough to make Father Grandier’s authority questionable and is allowed to reveal another side as an actor, an emotive tenderness that creates an emotional core around the shock horror of it all and ultimately generates a pain that will have even the stone cold squirming.

On the other hand you have Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne giving a twisted performance that shows just how committed she is to this film. Redgrave is immediately sinister, imbued with a creepiness that wouldn’t feel out of place in a horror film, but even with this uneasiness, there’s still a tragedy behind her character. Through all the jaw dropping moments that Redgrave’s Sister Jeanne goes through, she remains riveting to watch, it’s hard to look away even when you want to. Surrounding the two principal performers are a series of wild and committed actors who make the chaos Ken Russell has conjured possible. The likes of Gemma Jones, Dudley Sutton and Michael Gothard help to fill this world of religious zealots and bring out Russell’s themes of immorality and abuse within the Church.

Ken Russell commands the screen with omnipotent power, knowing when to go full throttle madness and when to slow things down, never compromising his thematic pondering for unneeded shock value. Yes, The Devils pushes boundaries and yes, it can be overwhelming at times, but there wasn’t a point where it felt Ken Russell let the film run away with itself. This is a contained crazy working with a skilled crew to deliver a portrait of blasphemous anarchy. Speaking of said crew, a special mention should go out to David Watkin whose cinematography is dynamic and assured, documenting and composing beautiful images in and around the brutality. Another special mention should be awarded to both Derek Jarman and Shirley Russell, whose production and costume design respectively helps to create this epic scale to The Devils.

Just as gorgeous as it is shocking, Russell’s The Devils is rude, crude and nude, but it’s also a work of brilliant filmmaking. While the idea of this film being banned may now seem like 20th Century hyperbole, this is still a film that will cause you to wince, gasp and laugh just by the sheer extremities that Russell and company go. Oliver Reed delivers an absolutely impeccable performance while Vanessa Redgrave matches the madness that weaves in and out The Devils. A choir of demonic nuns and a mob of self-righteous men make for a film that under its overt horrors has something to say about the politics of religion and the corruptions of faith.

Ken Russell’s The Devils screens uncut at BFI Southbank through 29 October before its nationwide release on 30 October, and EyeOnLondon would urge you to see it on the biggest screen you can find.

Independent arts, culture, ideas and criticism, from London and beyond, at eye-on-london.com.

Follow us on:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!

We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!