There are very few films that leave you questioning how on earth they were ever made, let alone released, and Ken Russell’s The Devils is undoubtedly one of them. More than half a century after its original release, this furious, visually astonishing and deeply unsettling work remains as provocative as ever. The new 4K restoration only reinforces its status as one of the most audacious films ever committed to celluloid, and an experience that absolutely demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
What makes The Devils so remarkable is its sheer willingness to push everything to the extreme. Russell creates a world of religious fanaticism, sexual repression and political corruption that feels simultaneously absurd and genuinely nightmarish. The production design is extraordinary, with Derek Jarman’s stark, imposing sets transforming the film into something resembling a living nightmare. The stark whites, towering architecture and grotesque imagery create a visual identity that is almost impossible to forget. Honestly, how this film was conceived and realised in 1971 is difficult to comprehend. There are moments here that feel more radical and confrontational than anything being made today.
The 4K restoration makes the experience all the more remarkable. The image has a clarity and presence that bring Russell’s extraordinary visual compositions into sharper focus, while the sheer scale of the production becomes even more apparent. For those who have seen the film before, the material restored to this version will be particularly noticeable, adding further weight to an already overwhelming experience. This is not simply an opportunity to revisit a controversial classic; it is a chance to appreciate the film in a form that makes its artistry and excesses even harder to ignore.
Yet the real brilliance of The Devils lies beneath its outrageous surface. At its core, this is a pointedly political film about the ways in which religion, shame and sexual repression can be weaponised by those in power. Russell depicts a society in which the wealthy and politically connected manipulate public hysteria to advance their own interests, using religious authority as a means of control. Faith becomes a tool for persecution, and moral outrage becomes a convenient distraction from the ambitions of those who stand to benefit.
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What makes this so unsettling is just how relevant it remains. If anything, The Devils feels frighteningly suited to the current political climate, where manufactured outrage, ideological extremism and the exploitation of public fear continue to shape the world around us. There is a compelling argument that one of the films that best captures the madness of the era we are living through was made more than half a century ago. Russell may be examining a specific historical moment, but his understanding of power, propaganda and mass hysteria feels anything but confined to the past.
And then there is the tone. Russell moves between the ridiculous and the horrific with an almost unbelievable confidence, allowing moments of grotesque silliness to sit alongside imagery that is genuinely disturbing. The film can feel theatrical, absurd and even darkly funny one moment, before plunging into something oppressive and nightmarish the next. This constant instability is central to its power. You are never entirely comfortable, never quite sure whether to laugh, recoil or simply sit in disbelief at what you are watching.
Ultimately, The Devils is an extraordinary piece of filmmaking: confrontational, politically charged and visually unlike almost anything else. It is not an easy watch, nor is it particularly interested in making itself palatable. But that is precisely what makes it so essential.
A furious, unforgettable masterpiece that feels every bit as dangerous and relevant today as it did in 1971. If you can experience this restoration on a big screen, take it. Films like this simply do not come around very often.
★★★★★
In cinemas from Friday 30th October / Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave, Dudley Sutton, Max Adrian, Gemma Jones, Murray Melvin / Dir: Ken Russell / BFI Distribution / 18
