A dramatised historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest accused...
A dramatised historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest accused of witchcraft.
In 17th-century France, Father Grandier's unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually-obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest's reputation.
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70 %33 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
88 %4,017 reviewsAudience score rating
"Reed carries the film with an admirably restrained portrayal of the doomed priest. Redgrave, on screen only sporadically, is stunning as the salacious sister."
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Variety
Variety"No matter how thickly Russell piles on the masturbating nuns, tortured priests and dissolute dauphins, there's no getting round the fact that it's all more redolent of a camp revue than a cathartic vision."
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Time Out
Time Out"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."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"Russell is really interested in examining religious hypocrisy and, although his methods are sensationalistic, he makes valid points about man's difficulty reflecting God's image."
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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times"Whatever the moral perspective, it keeps you gripped right to the end."
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Empire Magazine
Empire MagazineThe Devils (1971) | Details
Award winner- Winner of Best Foreign Film, 1971 Venice Film Festival.
- Rating
- R18,
- Runtime
- 111
- Genre
- Drama
- Country of origin
- UK
