Loudun, France, in the 17th century. Urbain Grandier, a Catholic priest with an independent and popular reputation, finds himself at the centre of an accusation when Sister Jeanne des Anges, an Ursuline nun, blames him for the disturbances in her convent. As political tensions between the crown and local authorities build, the accusation grows into a public cause that pits the religious community against civil power, leaving the priest increasingly exposed.

How it was made

The project drew on Aldous Huxley's 1952 book The Devils of Loudun and John Whiting's 1960 play The Devils. United Artists first offered the idea to Ken Russell but withdrew after reading his screenplay, judging it too controversial, and Warner Bros. agreed to produce and distribute it. Filming took place largely at Pinewood Studios in late 1970. Russell wrote, produced and directed, with a score by Peter Maxwell Davies and cinematography by David Watkin, and Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave lead the cast.

Reception and legacy

Its graphic violence and sexual content, combined with its religious themes, provoked harsh reactions from censors. It received an X rating in the UK and the US, was banned in several countries and heavily cut elsewhere. Critics were largely divided, although it won the Best Director prize at the Venice Film Festival and an award from the National Board of Review. The director's cut did not reach cinemas in its complete form until the early 2000s, and a 4K restoration was presented at Cannes in 2026. It is now widely regarded as one of the most controversial films ever made.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

Warner Bros. cuts

The studio removed entirely a sequence of about two and a half minutes, known as "the rape of Christ", which Russell considered one of the most important parts of his cut.

Recovering the cut

Critic Mark Kermode located the director's cut in Warner Bros. archives, and by his account the studio blocked for years attempts to release it on physical media.

More films by Ken Russell

Women in Love1969

Altered States1980

Tommy1975

Billion Dollar Brain1967

Lisztomania1975

The Boy Friend1971

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.