The long-repressed ‘director’s cut’ of Ken Russell’s The Devils will hit UK cinemas from October 30th, and a new trailer has been unveiled featuring never-before-seen footage of the 4K restoration.
This restoration is the only version of the film that Ken Russell wanted audiences to see. “A holy grail” for film lovers the world over, this version has never been released theatrically or available on home video/streaming.
On the scale of the restoration, award-winning filmmaker and BFI Fellow Guillermo del Toro said, “The restoration of the material is like cleaning the Sistine Chapel with saliva. It is insane, the epic size of the film – I mean, I’ve seen it on the big screen in Telluride at a theatre – I’ve never seen the movie until I saw this restoration.”
An enduring masterpiece of cinema starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, Ken Russell’s The Devils is a prescient epic of obsession and corruption – and a defining work of art from seminal filmmaker Ken Russell. Inspired by the true story of 17th-century priest Urbain Grandier, accused of bewitching a convent of nuns, the film lays bare the collusion of church and state through a searing vision of religious persecution, collective hysteria and institutional corruption. In addition to powerhouse performances from Reed and Redgrave, Ken Russell’s The Devils showcases the stunning work of artists at the peak of their craft: Academy Award®-winning cinematographer David Watkin (Out of Africa, Chariots of Fire); editor Michael Bradsell (Local Hero, Jabberwocky); and visual artist Derek Jarman (Jubilee, Caravaggio), whose work as production designer marks his feature film debut.
The definitive version of Ken Russell’s The Devils received its restoration world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival as an official selection in Cannes Classics to overwhelming critical acclaim, before being screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna. Warner Bros. Clockwork will present the restoration’s North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before releasing the film in US cinemas on October 16th for an exclusive one-week engagement. Fans (us included!) have been campaigning for the release of the lost footage for years, and we’re finally going to get to revel in the film just as Ken Russell intended. It’s one not to miss!
