The Devils (1971)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Ken Russell

Producer:

Ken Russell, Robert H. Solo

Writer:

Ken Russell, John Whiting, Aldous Huxley

Runtime:

1hr 51m

Synopsis

In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.

Cast

  • Vanessa Redgrave
  • Oliver Reed
  • Dudley Sutton
  • Max Adrian
  • Gemma Jones
  • Murray Melvin
  • Michael Gothard
  • Georgina Hale
  • Brian Murphy
  • Christopher Logue

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.2
116.0K
79.5K
45.8K
RATINGS 3.4K FANS
4.2
  • Nov 1, 2014

    so movie money sure isn't as brave as it used to be, huh? good god. this was put out (or not) by WARNER BROS! how timid and small-minded our commercial art has become. such gloriously righteous indignation, and Jarman's neo-futurist design still gives the madness a…

    3.0K Likes
    davidehrlich
    davidehrlich
    Apr 19, 2014

    One of THE most excruciatingly difficult cinematic experiences out there. It probably wasn't beneficial for my mental health to watch this and Under the Skin in the same evening. I hated Vanessa Redgrave's character so much that I might honestly hate Vanessa Redgrave now,…

    1.5K Likes
    Eli Hayes
    Eli Hayes
    Nov 29, 2021

    beautiful movies make life worth living!!!

    1.3K Likes
    sarah squirm
    sarah squirm
  •
    Oct 4, 2021

    too many hoes in this house of sin

    1.2K Likes
    Dante
    Dante
    May 14, 2026

    Finally restored to its intended majesty and as thrilling, scary, funny, and holy as ever.  Seen as part of Cannes Cinema Classics with a room full of converts.

    938 Likes
    Sean Fennessey
    Sean Fennessey
    Aug 1, 2024

    God isn’t real take ur clothes off

    930 Likes
    Blue Ghosts
    Blue Ghosts
  •
    Feb 12, 2018

    90 Unrivaled debauchery. Depicts Church and State as two extremes, the happy medium only uncovered when any disconnect from either is attempted. That a priest is portrayed as a drunken playboy billionaire only to lose his influence over the prospect of sexual freedom for…

    748 Likes
    SilentDawn
    SilentDawn
    Jan 20, 2024

    Oliver Reed is probably the highest T individual in human history.

    670 Likes
    Will Menaker
    Will Menaker
    Oct 2, 2025

    The most controversial film of the 1970s was banned across the world for its deliriously overheated, shockingly blasphemous tale of sexual frenzy and demonic possession in a seventeenth-century French convent. Based on Aldous Huxley’s novel “The Devils of Loudun” and John…

    650 Likes
    Criterion
    Criterion

Queue Community Reviews

81%
Community 626
❤️ LOVE
33%
👍 LIKE
48%
😐 MEH
15%
👎 DISLIKE
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Top Reviews
  • Landon Kenner
    Landon Kenner liked
    The Devils

    I think the greatest moment was in the last 20 minutes, showing the true evil being spread by fear and propaganda. Pretty slow burn, but a good watch. 7/10

    🔥 1 2Y
    Wagner Freitas
    Wagner Freitas liked
    The Devils

    ⚠️ "The devils is a harsh film, but it's a harsh subject. I wish the people who were horrified and appalled by it would've read the book, because the bare facts are far more horrible than anything in the film." —Ken Russell, who won Best Director for it at 33rd Venice Festival.

    1M
    jam jammy jambam
    jam jammy jambam loved
    The Devils

    TIFF26 #1 So glad i held off watching til now. Gorgeous 4k restoration. Incredible picture.

    27D
  • Vogue Italia
    Vogue Italia loved
    The Devils

    i cannot describe how deeply incredible and insane this movie is

    3Y
    Abono gratuito
    Abono gratuito is "meh" on
    The Devils

    wtf el final, es lit lo único q le importaba a la monja

    20D
    Charlie Baltimore
    Charlie Baltimore loved
    The Devils

    Oliver Reed is so extremely handsome

    3M
  • Kim Brioso
    Kim Brioso liked
    The Devils

    They burned him alive.

    3Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

49
metacritic
Based on 11 Critics
7.1

USER SCORE (9)

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Reviews
75

Russell’s penchant for aesthetic excess is thoroughly indulged, as the director stages grotesque human tableaus straight out of Hieronymus Bosch over Derek Jarman’s intricately detailed sets. The result gives the story a sort of wanton, overripe feel, with such ostensibly austere environments as a cloistered convent about to explode with repressed sensuality.

Metacritic review by Katie Rife
Katie Rife
The A.V. Club
40

It's a see-through movie composed of a lot of clanking, silly, melodramatic effects that, like rib-tickling, exhaust you without providing particular pleasure, to say nothing of enlightenment.

Metacritic review by Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Devils (1971) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is The Devils (1971)?
The movie is 1hr 51min long.
What's The Devils (1971) about?
In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.
Who's the cast of The Devils (1971)?
  • Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne
  • Oliver Reed as Urbain Grandier
  • Dudley Sutton as Baron De Laubardemont
  • Max Adrian as Ibert
  • Gemma Jones as Madeleine
  • Murray Melvin as Mignon
  • Michael Gothard as Father Barre
  • Georgina Hale as Philippe
  • Brian Murphy as Adam
  • Christopher Logue as Cardinal Richelieu
Who's the director behind The Devils (1971)?
Ken Russell directed The Devils (1971).
Who produced The Devils (1971)?
Ken Russell and Robert H. Solo produced The Devils (1971).
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