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The definitive lost cut of a controversial banned horror film that sparked cinema walkouts and protests is set to be released in UK cinemas in full for the first time.
Written, produced, and directed by British film icon Ken Russell, The Devils follows enigmatic priest Father Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) in 17th-century France, who clashes with the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) after a spate of supposed possessions in the city of Loudun.
In a bid to bring down the autonomous city they reside in, Richelieu manipulates a repressed and infatuated nun, Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), to accuse Grandier of witchcraft.
Before even hitting cinemas in 1971, The Devils was forced to undergo several significant cuts by Warner Bros and the BBFC in the UK.
Two notable scenes were removed in their entirety. One shows naked nuns sexually defiling a statue of Jesus Christ as Father-Canon Jean Mignon (Murray Melvin) looks down and pleasures himself, referred to as the ‘Rape of Christ’ sequence.
The other scene that never made it to cinemas showed Sister Jeanne touching herself with the charred femur of Grandier following his execution by being burned at the stake.
Even though the film was cut in parts, The Devils was banned by 17 local councils across the UK and several countries worldwide due to its graphic nature and blasphemous themes.
In places that it did manage to get a cinema screening, it prompted walkouts and even protests, as well as being condemned by the Vatican.
Despite this, in 1971, Russell also received the best director awards at the 33rd Venice International Film Festival and the US National Board of Review for The Devils.
It received critical acclaim, being branded ‘a masterpiece’ and ‘outstanding’, as well as ‘the most controversial film in history.’
After being censored for more than 50 years, The Devils will be shown in full in select UK and Ireland cinemas on 30 October thanks to BFI Distribution in partnership with Warner Bros. Clockwork.
The fully restored 4K cut was made with Russell’s specific direction and was previously shown at the 79th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
Stuart Brown, BFI director of programme and distribution, said: ‘Ken Russell’s The Devils is one of the great masterpieces of British cinema: A film of astonishing imagination, searing power and dazzling formal brilliance.
‘The BFI is thrilled to be partnering with Warner Bros. Clockwork to present the new restoration, which reveals anew the extraordinary artistry of Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave, Derek Jarman and the many others who collaborated to create a truly singular work.
‘The BFI has long supported Ken Russell’s film and television work across BFI Southbank, BFI home entertainment and BFI Player, and so it is a fitting privilege to help bring this landmark restoration to audiences across the UK and Ireland.’
This cut of the film was originally reconstructed in 2004 under the supervision of Russell and the film’s editor, Michael Bradsell, in collaboration with Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce.
Though it has been shown in some private screenings, this is the first time The Devils has been made available in full to the public.
Why is the restoration of The Devils so important?
The excitement from genre fans for The Devils’ re-release is high, but its importance to cinema runs far deeper.
It is a historic move for Warner Bros., officially embracing and distributing the uncensored, NC-17 rated version of a movie that has been effectively locked in a vault for over half a century.
The restoration marks the first time in Warner Bros’ 103-year history that the studio has distributed a film with an NC-17 rating.
Its cultural and artistic impact cannot be understated, restoring a piece of film history that was otherwise lost and allowing audiences to watch The Devils how Russell always intended, without mandated cuts that blunted its original impact.
Speaking to Metro, Brown explained the importance of film restoration for the preservation of art and educating viewers about history.
‘Film restorations are critical for both the preservation of significant works of art, but also the education and appreciation of the history of cinema,’ he began.
‘A new restoration provides distributors with the opportunity and impetus to present a film to new, younger audiences who haven’t had the opportunity to see it in cinemas.
Deputy TV editor Tom Percival shares his thoughts on The Devils restoration…
‘It’s a lost film now. You’ll never see it the way I wanted you to. Never.’
16 years ago director Ken Russell mourned the castration of The Devils during an interview with Total Sci-Fi Online.
The director, who was devout Catholic when he made the film, feared that the world would never see the vision behind the controversy.
That his most infamous work, shorn of its thematic heart, the infamous ‘Rape of Christ’ would be seen as nothing more than provocative flim-flam, an excessive curio mentioned only in lists of ‘the most shocking movies ever made.’
Indeed, even now a cursory Google of The Devils shows that’s the fate the film has been condemned to. But to focus on the violence and excess of The Devils is to miss the political nuance and anger that still enfuses the desecrated cut of the film we got. It’s to miss the ambition in the heresy.
Its restoration, then, is a win not just for those of us who believe that freedom of expression and the willingness to challenge audiences are key components of making good art, but also a posthumous reprieve for Ken Russell and his misunderstood masterpiece.
‘So much endeavour and craftsmanship go into creating an outstanding film like this one, that is specific to the big screen cinema experience, and it’s vitally important that the BFI can provide audiences all over the UK with a chance to see it.
‘We’re delighted to be working closely with Warner Bros. Clockwork to bring Ken Russell’s The Devils to both fans and new audiences, who can see it in cinemas widely for the first time in 50 years from October 30.’
London’s Prince Charles Cinema is among the establishments set to screen the film, with head of programming Paul Vickey saying The Devils ‘transcends generational desires or niche interests.’
‘There is no film that has been requested more often in the many years I have been here than The Devils,’ he told Metro.
‘It transcends generational desires or niche interests. If you’re into cinema, you know of this film; if you know of this film, you want to see it; and if you want to see it, you dream of seeing it on a cinema screen.
‘I still can’t believe it is happening, especially on the scale that it is, and I couldn’t be happier to see it happen.’
Speaking to Metro, Amber T, lead news writer at FANGORIA and contributor to physical releases from Radiance Films, Second Sight Films, Arrow Video, and more, expressed the importance of fighting against censorship in the arts.
‘The director’s cut of Ken Russell’s The Devils finally getting a release is monumental for a few reasons.
‘Firstly, it’s a win in the increasingly concerning fight against censorship of the arts. In a time when social media polices our language, and audiences are seemingly more shocked by the naked human body than ever before, it’s important to have art that challenges our tastes and pushes our limits in a safe, fictional environment.
‘Ken Russell’s The Devils is a fascinating critique of institutional abuse of power, specifically the religious kind, which is still just as relevant as it was upon release in 1971, and as relevant as it is in the story in the 1600s.
‘Letting religion dictate what art can or can not look like is a slippery slope, and one that has no place in 2026.’
She continued: ‘Secondly, cutting and suppressing the film deprived audiences of Russell’s vision as a filmmaker.
‘The Devils was so heavily censored by Warner Bros. and the MPAA that it destroyed the original vision of the film, butchering the narrative to make it, in Russell’s words, “disjointed and incomprehensible”.
‘You don’t need to be a film scholar to understand that, to be enjoyed to its fullest, a film should be viewed in accordance with the director’s intent, without shoddy and careless manipulation.’
The Devils full cut in 4k will be shown in select UK and Irish cinemas on October 30, 2026.