More than five decades after shocking audiences and enraging censors around the world, The Devils is finally returning in the form its director always intended. A newly restored 4K edition of Ken Russell’s infamous 1971 religious drama is headed to theaters this October, assembled from the original camera negative and incorporating material from Russell’s privately constructed 2004 version of the film.
Long regarded as one of the most controversial films ever produced by a major Hollywood studio, The Devils stars Oliver Reed as Urbain Grandier, a charismatic 17th century French priest accused of demonic possession amid political and religious paranoia in the city of Loudun, France. Vanessa Redgrave delivers one of the most fearless performances of her career as the sexually tormented Sister Jeanne, whose obsession with Grandier helps ignite a wave of hysteria that spirals into public torture, accusations of witchcraft and ultimately execution.
The film was inspired by real historical events documented in The Devils of Loudun, with Russell adapting the material into what he once described as his “only political film.” Beneath the shocking imagery and feverish performances lies a pointed attack on the abuse of institutional power, religious fanaticism and mass manipulation — themes many critics say remain disturbingly relevant today.
At the time of its original release, The Devils became a lightning rod for controversy due to its graphic violence, sexuality and provocative religious imagery. The film’s most infamous convent sequence — depicting frenzied nuns in a scene of shocking religious desecration — was removed from many releases following backlash from religious organizations and studio executives.The movie faced censorship battles in both the United Kingdom and the United States, while some countries either banned it outright or refused to exhibit it altogether. For decades, the fully uncut version remained largely unavailable to the public, adding to the film’s near-mythic reputation among cinephiles.
Despite the controversy, the film’s artistic legacy only grew over time. Modern filmmakers including Guillermo del Toro have championed the movie as a masterpiece, with del Toro famously calling it “as powerful, as beautiful, and absolutely as wild” upon every viewing. Today, The Devils is frequently ranked among the boldest and most visually daring films in British cinema history.
The production itself has become legendary. The film’s striking white cathedral-like sets were designed by future filmmaker and artist Derek Jarman, marking one of his earliest major film projects. Russell’s then-wife Shirley Russell handled the elaborate costume design, while acclaimed cinematographer David Watkin gave the film its dreamlike and often nightmarish visual style. According to cast and crew interviews over the years, many involved considered the production a career high point despite — or perhaps because of — the chaos surrounding it.
The new restoration was created using the original camera negative, with remastered sound sourced from original 35mm magnetic film elements. While restoration details remain relatively technical, the goal was simple: to finally present audiences with the closest approximation possible to Russell’s intended vision.
For generations of film fans, The Devils has existed as both a cinematic achievement and a kind of forbidden relic — whispered about, heavily censored and rarely screened in complete form. This latest restoration may finally allow modern audiences to experience the film the way Russell envisioned: uncut, uncompromising and every bit as incendiary as it was in 1971.
The 4K restoration of Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971) will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026 and release in North American theaters on October 26, 2026 for an exclusive one-week engagement.