(UK, 1971) Nunsploitation at its finest. Director Ken Russell strips down Aldous Huxley’s rich, detailed history to a hellbroth of lust, erotic obsession, resentment, hatred, flagellation, Inquisitional torture, exorcism, mounting mass madness and wildly overwrought emotion.
in 17th century France, Catholic priest Urbain Grandier was put on trial for making a pact with the devil and causing an entire convent of Ursuline nuns to become possessed.
Russell, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘excess’ and wouldn’t call it wretched if he did, goes for operatic grandeur and achieves it handily with lively visuals and fine performances from the whole case, headed by Oliver Reed, as Grandier who truly yearns for God and finds fulfillment with the local ladies, and Vanessa Redgrave, as Sister Jeanne, whose crush on Grandier leads to deepening madness.
The story is true and even more bizarre and horrifying than the movie. Participants and onlookers wrote extensively at the time and Huxley fills his book, The Devils Of Loudun, with their observations and opinions.
Huxley, in his own voice, guides us through the narrative and explains French social, political, philosophical, scholarly and religious life with a calm clarity spiced with occasional bits of dry British wit. Neither writer or story are ever dull.
Huxley’s book is readily available on amazon, but Russell’s movie is another story. The amazon version isn’t currently available and may not be as advertised, so you’ll have to hunt around for a decent bootleg.
Purchase The Devils