The Devils
dir. Ken Russell · 1971
A priest named Father Grandier stands as a bulwark against the encroaching power of Cardinal Richelieu in 17th-century France, but his fate is sealed by the machinations of a sexually obsessed Mother Superior and a witch-hunter. Watching this film is like being thrust into a fever dream where the boundaries of sanity and morality blur, leaving you questioning the very nature of truth and power.
Cardinal Richelieu and his power-hungry entourage seek to take control of 17th-century France, but need to destroy Father Grandier, the priest who runs the fortified town that prevents them from exerting total control. So they seek to destroy him by setting him up as a warlock in control of a devil-possessed nunnery, the Mother Superior of which is sexually obsessed with him. A mad witch-hunter is brought in to gather evidence against the priest, ready for the big trial.
