Ken Russell’s “The Devils” will hold its first legal screening in 55 years this October.
The restored 1971 horror film, which stars Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, will be shown in the United States starting October 16, Warner Bros announced. The movie has been banned or heavily cut in multiple countries since its original release more than five decades ago.
Guillermo del Toro endorsed the restoration in a Warner Bros post, comparing the work to a famous conservation effort. “The restoration of the material is like cleaning the Sistine Chapel with saliva. I’ve never seen the movie until I saw this restoration,” the director said.
The British Film Institute is partnering with Warner Bros. Clockwork to bring the restoration to audiences across the UK and Ireland. Stuart Brown, BFI Director of Programme and Distribution, praised the film in a statement as “one of the great masterpieces of British cinema: a film of astonishing imagination, searing power and dazzling formal brilliance.”
Brown continued: “The BFI is thrilled to be partnering with Warner Bros. Clockwork to present the new restoration, which reveals anew the extraordinary artistry of Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave, Derek Jarman and the many others who collaborated to create a truly singular work.”
He added that the BFI has long supported Russell’s film and television work through BFI Southbank, BFI home entertainment and BFI Player, calling the partnership “a fitting privilege.”
The film’s return follows extensive technical work. Warner Bros said over 164,472 frames of 35mm film were restored for the new release.
“The Devils” dramatizes the true story of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century priest accused of placing his nuns under a spell. The combination of religious imagery, sexuality, and disturbing narrative content made it one of the most controversial releases of its era.
The Vatican condemned the film upon release, describing it as “an insult to cinema.” Ann Guarino of the New York Daily News wrote that it “could not be more anti-Catholic in tone or more sensationalized in treatment.”
The British Board of Film Classification immediately hit the movie with an X rating, forcing several cuts before any public screenings could proceed. Mass walkouts became common in cinemas where it did play.
The controversy has not diminished the film’s reputation among critics and institutions. Brown’s statement emphasized its formal qualities and the collaborative artistry behind its creation.
The October 16 US screening marks the first time audiences can legally view the fully restored version in over five decades.