Ken Russell’s Uncensored Version Of ‘The Devils’ Receives First Public Screening At Cannes 55 Years After It Was Produced

One might argue that there’s something symbolic in the fact that the two big Hollywood studio titles screening this year at Cannes can’t be found in the Official Competition but are in the repertory Classics section. The first being The Fast and the Furious, which rode into town on Wednesday night with Universal for an anniversary screening in the Grand Lumière. The second was a more unique proposition, courtesy of Warner Bros.’s new boutique label Clockwork, which had its first official outing this evening with a new 4K director’s edition of Ken Russell’s infamous 1971 feature The Devils. 

Starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, the film tells the story of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century Catholic priest who was burned at the stake over accusations of witchcraft. While the film was inspired by true events and pulled from previous takes on the story, including John Whiting’s 1960 stage play, Russell’s version is distinct and was condemned at the time by critics who believed it to be highly blasphemous.

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