The Devils (1971)

What to Expect

The Devils is a movie by Ken Russell based on real events, according to real church records, that occurred in 1634 at the Ursuline convent in Louden, France. This movie got on my radar after watching another movie based on the same event, a Polish film from 1961 called Mother Joan of the Angels. The Devils takes place during the time leading up to the priest being burned at the stake and Mother Joan takes place after. It's crazy controversial, originally given an X-rating, was banned in several countries and was heavily edited in others. The original uncut version is extremely rare and isn't even available in many countries. Controversy aside, the movie itself was intelligently made and used its controversy as a platform to showcase the rampant political corruption within the church at that time. The priest was of course not possessed by the devil, a rival cardinal simply used the claims against him as an opportunity to get rid of the priest in order to increase his own power. And he exploited his power to abuse many innocent women. Overall, a very powerful and hypnotic film that will leave you thinking about it for days.