Warner Bros. will bring Ken Russell's 1971 film The Devils back to theaters on October 16. The upcoming 4K restoration will feature an uncut version that has received an NC-17 rating.
From X-rated bans to a 4K restoration
The history of The Devils is deefined by a decades-long struggle against the scissors of censorship.. Originally released in 1971, the film faced immediate backlash for its provocative religious imagery and extreme violence. As the report indicates, British censors originally demanded significant cuts, resulting in an X rating in both the United Kingdom and the United States. While the film was eventually downgraded to an R rating in the U.S., its reputation as a "forbidden" piece of cinema remained intact.
This move by Warner Bros. represents a full circle moment for the production, moving from a period of being heavily censored and shortened to a release that honors the director's original, uncompromised vision... The BBC has previously explored how this ongoing censorship continued for decades after the film's debut,contributing to its status as one of the great lost films of British cinema.
Oliver Reed and the 17th-century chaos of Loudun
The narrative of The Devils is rooted in the real-life religious hysteria of Loudun, France. starring Oliver Reed as the priest Father Urbain Grandier and Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne des Anges, the film depicts a terrifying 17th-century witch hunt. Director Ken Russell utilized an intentionally excessive visual style to bring this disturbing chapter of history to life.
According to the source, the film includes controversial sequences involving a statue of Christ, as well as graphic depictions of torture and sexual material that were central to its original scandal. By utilizing a 4K restoration, the studio aims to present these intense visuals with modern clarity, ensuring the visceral nature of the Loudun possessions is fully realized.
A defiance of the 'Human Centipede' era of censorship
Releasing a film with an NC-17 rating in the modern era is a significant departure from reccent industry trends.. While 21st-century films like The Human Centipede faced intense controversy, they were handled quite differently than the decades of censorship experienced by The Devils. Unlike the history of Scarface, which was banned in the United States, Warner Bros. is now choosing to embrace the film's most extreme elements rather than hiding them.
By opting for the NC-17 rating, the studio is essentially acknowledging that the controversial material is an integral part of the film's identity. This is a stark contrast to the way many modern studios approach controversial content, often opting for edits to ensure a wider, more commercially viable rating. Instead, Warner Bros. is positioning the film as a limited theatrical event rather than a mainstream horror revival.
The mystery of the 'select theaters' and the NC-17 barrier
Despite the excitement surrounding the October 16 release, several details remain unconfirmed by the studio. The report mentions that Warner Bros. will release the film in "select theaters," but it does not list which specific locations or cities will host the screenings. Furthermore, it is unclear how the NC-17 rating will affect the film's wider distribution or if it will be accessible to a broader audience through traditional channels.
There is also no mention of whether a home media release will follow the theatrical run in this specific, uncut 4K format. For collectors and cinephiles, the lack of information regarding the long-term availability of this restored version remains a significant unanswered question.
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