The Devils

A film set in seventeenth-century France. Loudun is a city with its own walls. The central government wants those walls down; the man defending the city is the priest Urbain Grandier. He is popular there, politically strong and not much bound by the rules of his church; his relationships with women are openly known. Jeanne, the prioress of the city's convent, has made an obsession of him without ever having seen him. On learning that he has married someone else she makes an accusation: the priest is working with the devil and has taken hold of the convent. For the central government this is exactly what is needed. A commission of exorcists arrives and a mass performance begins at the convent. What the film describes is not faith but politics: how an accusation is used, how a crowd is steered and how the outcome of a trial is known in advance. Oliver Reed plays Grandier and Vanessa Redgrave plays Jeanne. Derek Jarman designed the sets; the city is given a modern look with white tiled walls, and that choice is the most striking thing about it. Ken Russell directed. The production passed through heavy censorship on release; scenes were cut and for a long time the film could not be seen complete. Even now some versions are missing material. The source is Aldous Huxley's book and a real trial. A shattering production for anyone who likes bold historical films. Before you watch, know this: the film shows torture and religious violence openly.