Warner Bros., under its newly branded specialty studio “Clockwork,” unveiled one of the most significant restorations in years at this past May’s Cannes Film Festival: a full 4K uncut version of Ken Russell’s “The Devils.”
Now comes a trailer for what will be a momentous theatrical release for all of us freaks out there. A rollout of “The Devils” is expected to begin in repertory cinemas on October 16.
This is not a partial reissue or simply a cleaned-up version — it is being presented as an “uncensored, unfiltered and uncut” restoration of one of the most notoriously mutilated films in modern studio history. The new 4K restoration has been assembled from the original camera negative and includes additional footage.
The film, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, was released in 1971 and heavily censored in both the UK and the US — not only after its release, but also during and immediately after production. Under pressure from distributors and censors, entire sequences were removed or altered because of the film’s extreme religious and sexual content. Over time, it has become one of the most infamous examples of studio interference in British cinema, yet its reputation has only continued to grow.
Set in a 17th-century French town gripped by religious hysteria after a priest is accused of witchcraft, the best way to describe “The Devils” is as a portrait of collective madness, where power and religion collapse into violence and spectacle. The film is hypnotic because Russell pushes it into operatic extremes, shifting between grotesque imagery and sudden, disturbing moments of silence. It’s a feverish, almost trance-like experience.
For decades, audiences have had access only to compromised versions. The UK X-rated cut runs approximately 1 hour and 51 minutes, while the US R-rated version is even shorter, at around 1 hour and 48 minutes. Over the years, fans have assembled unofficial versions, including fragments of the infamous “Rape of Christ” sequence and portions of the prison scenes involving Grandier (Oliver Reed). Even so, none of these versions has ever been considered complete or authoritative.
This new restoration is therefore being viewed as the closest possible approximation of Russell’s original vision, potentially incorporating surviving material that has never before been seen in an official release.
The timing is also notable, as the restoration appears to be the first major release under Warner Bros.’ “Clockwork” label, which recently announced Sean Baker’s next film, “Ti Amo!”
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