Diary entries forThe Devils
The Devils
I've got a lot to say about this so here we go. The film is stunning visually, with rich and vibrant colours throughout. The set designer did a fantastic job and the use of multiple beautiful locations was a sight to behold. Secondly, the performances were spectacular, with everyone involved giving everything they'd got. Michael Gothard's (Farther Barre's) performance in particular impressed me. He was the most dislikeable character and he absolutely killed the role. By the end I genuinely hated him, which was the desired effect of the film. Thirdly, I really enjoyed the depiction of how religion can corrupt and harm all those who follow it. As an atheist it baffles me how far people would go in the name of a mystic higher power, but I'm not one to judge. The clever use of religion as an excuse to gain control of France is done perfectly, showing how corruption can ruin anything. Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a saviour of the city of Loudun, yet the people turn against him when he gets falsely accused by the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Everything about this is done very well. Now onto what I didn't really like. The film felt long and dragged at certain points. The plot, despite it being a clever depiction of corruption, felt far fetched and unrealistic to me. The mass hysteria and pushing peoples beliefs to the limit both felt too much. The sisters all becoming erratic was also very odd, I get why those women may have been very horny, but the depiction of them as crazed blood and sex hungry people felt a bit harsh. Overall, I enjoyed this and respect the message it was trying to deliver. One day I will revisit this, but not any time soon. I would recommend watching it at least once though, even if its just for the colours and sets alone.
The Devils
"Anything found in the desert of a frustrated life can bring hope. And with hope comes love. And with love comes hate"
The Devils
Night 1 of 31 Nights of Halloween Ken Russel's The Devils has been a film that has eluded me for many years. It has come and gone off of streaming services, but finally, FilmStruck happened to put it on, and I knew that it was going to be the film that I would start my horror marathon with. And I am so glad that I did, since The Devils is a horrifying story, not only in the depiction of madness, but on how powerful the Church is, and how there really was no separation between Churh and State, forcing religion to be everywhere. It's not a traditional horror film, but it still does have it's moments that make chills run down the spine. The climax of the film happens to be one of those moments, a scene that I will surely never forget. I've seen that many people seem to have difficulty enjoying the film due to it's chaotic nature. Throughout the film, there are many scenes that keep on going, seeming to switch back and forth, creating a disorienting experience. It is understandable on how this can be difficult to understand, but with the subject matter of the film, it makes sense. The film depicts madness, as well as potential possession, so it possibly was a creative decision to edit the film to create a maddening sensation while watching. I've waited many years to be able to watch The Devils, and I am so glad that I was able to watch it for my horror marathon this year. This is one of many films that I will be watching this month, but this film set the perfect tone for the rest of the films. I'm actually really excited to be able to watch this film again, just to unpack even more of what Ken Russel has to offer here.
The Devils
Cult of Personality 2024 (https://letterboxd.com/allbeef/list/cult-of-personality-2024/) #42 of 52 | Directed by Ken Russell (https://letterboxd.com/director/ken-russell/) The Loudun Witch Trials Religion really is the worst. Nope, scratch that. Overly-religious people really are the worst. 90% of the time it makes for a weird and boring movie. Just look at what sexual repression does to a motherfucker.
The Devils
That’s some good trash.
The Devils
“But of course I can prove nothing. This Mother Superior may be a little more than a hysterical nun.” Quite frankly, this is the most transgressive film ever made, and a provocative one at that. Ken Russell has truly crafted a masterful tale of religious hysteria and the horrors of human arrogance, and the fact that this hasn’t been properly released and restored by the studio that owns it (Warner Bros.) is blasphemy in itself.
The Devils
“Now there’s a man worth going to hell for.” Just as I thought, I whisper to myself as I see Derek Jarman listed as the film’s production designer in the credits. No one else could create such vast unnerving spaces, impossible to tie to any one era, as though they’ve come to life from some strange fable or legend. His working with Ken Russell, a director who’s also capable of crafting gorgeous and seductive imagery makes perfect sense. Makes even more sense that Oliver Reed, one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen, should be at the center of the film. A rogue, lustful, priest seeking to liberate others from the man made institutions of religion and state. Liberate spiritually, politically and, of course, sexually. Was kind of shocked when Grandier was asked if there was a law against a priest taking a wife, or being in a physical/sexual relationship and his ultimate response was: “God’s word is my gospel.” Certainly not a position I expected to be parsed through in a mainstream film such as this, but there it was. And there were many instances of biting and thoughtful critique on the aforementioned institutions through the film. Some might call THE DEVILS blasphemous, I call it revelatory and bold. Revelatory because I too take issue with institutions run by corruptible men (and thus found the subject matter incredibly fascinating), and bold because I cannot fathom how a film like this was ever funded, produced, and released to mainstream audiences. Some might also call it a miracle, as it’s doubtful art like this would ever been given that much support from a major studio today. I have got to watch more of Ken Russell’s filmography. He’s 2/2 for me this year.
The Devils
“𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩!” In Russell fashion, a slew of poetic, philosophical thoughts echo through talking heads, but this time set in 17th century France. Most impressed by production design done by Jarman. Intricate, incredibly queer, played out like theater, full of life and terror and presented like a hellscape in all its grotesque intrigue. For that alone, this film is a masterpiece in how to make space breathe. Where I thought the camera danced to allow space to transform in Gothic (https://letterboxd.com/bulgogiboi/film/gothic/), here the camera remains solemn, entering paranoia in close ups and heavy monologues, and I wonder, if the camera danced more here, would it elevate the mass hysteria that bleeds throughout the film? Church and state will never separate. We are doomed to remain trapped in this confined way of living, never to learn from the past, never to go beyond our meager means. “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”
The Devils
— Dor é sensualidade. Nada, absolutamente nada nessa vida, consegue preparar alguém para assistir The Devils, nem mesmo saber um pouco sobre a trama e a repercussão. São quase duas horas de uma narrativa frenética sem medo de explorar os temas mais absurdos e hereges, se alguém quiser chamar assim, que tocam o que é a religião e o que ela tem significado para a sociedade ao longo dos anos. Ainda mais quando o aviso inicial nos prepara para receber uma história baseada na vida real. É aquela premissa de que a vida real pode ser sim tão surreal quanto qualquer obra de arte. Histeria em massa, fanatismo religioso, poder político da Igreja Católica, perversão, repressão sexual e autoritarismo são alguns dos temas que a narrativa do Padre Grandier e da cidade de Loudun aborda, porém existe muito mais. Tudo é tão frenético que quase não existe tempo de absorver e pensar sobre o que está acontecendo ali. Por isso, o imagético católico e de heresia andam lado a lado, fazendo com que os paralelos entre santidade e profanidade sejam testados a todos os momentos. Principalmente ao notarmos que Grandier exemplifica isso, sendo alguém certo de sua fé ao mesmo tempo que ciente dos seus pecados. Mas, no meio de uma disputa política, fica claro que os seus pecados carnais não são nada comparados com aquilo que a própria Igreja consegue fazer. O jogo de poder, aqui, se torna a grande heresia causadora do sofrimento do personagem principal, porém de todos os que estão ao seu redor e de uma cidade inteira. Pessoas são usadas como objetos em algo que está além da visão delas, como se fossem peões num tabuleiro que sequer o Rei comanda. Quem manda, na verdade, é o bispo. Além disso, algumas escolhas visuais e de produção são chocantes mesmo para quem não é praticante da religião mostrada ali, trazendo um peso ainda maior. Admito que várias cenas me deixaram num desconforto real, como se eu estivesse no meio da histeria. Sensorialmente, é um filme complexo. Gostei muito da forma de abordar os assuntos e não esquecerei tão cedo dele. (Os franceses realmente transformavam tudo em circo, não é?)
The Devils
that is actually worse than the irreversible scene bro what
