The unreleased version of Ken Russell’s The Devils made its first public Cannes appearance in a newly minted 4K director’s edition from Warner Bros. Clockwork. Fifty-five years after production, this uncensored cut restores scenes long edited or suppressed when the film first arrived in 1971.
Clockwork’s restoration relies on the original camera negative to deliver a sharper, more immersive look at Russell’s blistering satire of power and corruption. Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed star in a story about Urbain Grandier, a 17th‑century priest tangled in witchcraft accusations.
The Cannes screening was opened by Russell’s widow, Elize, alongside film critic Mark Kermode, and drew a guest list that included honorary Palme d’Or winner Peter Jackson.
Russell’s history with The Devils remains turbulent: the Vatican condemned the film at its Venice debut, it was banned in several territories, and it carried an X rating in the U.K. and U.S. long before later edits allowed wider release. The new print is slated to reach cinemas on October 16 via Clockwork.
Cannes continues through May 23, with audiences revisiting a film that still reverberates as a fierce, perceptive take on power and state authority.
- 4K director’s edition restored from the original camera negative
- Uncut version restored for the Cannes screening
Source: Original article
