The Devils
The Devils is a 1971 historical psychological horror-drama film written, produced and directed by Ken Russell, and starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed. A dramatised historical account of the fall of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest accused of witchcraft after the possessions in Loudun, France, the plot also focuses on Sister Jeanne des Anges, a sexually repressed nun who incites the accusations.
Plot
France, 1634: In the aftermath of religious wars, Cardinal Richelieu, the French Catholic statesman, is influencing King Louis XIII in an attempt to gain further power. Richelieu seeks to consolidate his authority by systematically divesting France's feudal lords of their power and centralising the country's government. He convinces Louis that the fortifications of cities throughout France should be demolished to prevent Protestants from rising up. Louis agrees, but forbids Richelieu from carrying out demolitions in the fortified town of Loudun, having made a promise to its Governor not to damage the town.
More details
| author | Ken Russell |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | France |
| director | Ken Russell |
| editor | Michael Bradsell |
| events | capital punishment |
| genre | drama historical horror |
| keywords | abbess angela merici arrest burn burning at the stake cardinal richelieu catholic church in france claim confessor crucifix deprave devil enema exorcism femur feudal lord force fornication fornicator french catholic hang herself high altar huguenot huguenot rebellions jeanne des anges loudun louis xiii mass psychogenic illness nouvelle-aquitaine obsess protestant relic religious frenzy religious war religious wars sacrilege sacrilegious show trial sister jeanne des anges suicide by hanging the king urbain grandier ursuline ursulines witch hunt |
| musicBy | Peter Maxwell Davies |
| producer | Ken Russell Robert H. Solo |
| productionCompany | Russo Productions |
| publisher | Warner Bros. |
| recordedAt | Pinewood Studios |
| theme | psychological horror |