Ken Russell’s 1971 film *The Devils*, long regarded as one of cinema’s most controversial works, is set to be restored and released in its original, uncut form for the first time in more than five decades. The film’s most notorious sequence, a prolonged “orgy” scene within a church, was heavily edited out of the initial release due to its graphic and provocative nature.

*The Devils* depicts the historical events surrounding Father Urbain Grandier, portrayed by Oliver Reed, who becomes embroiled in accusations of witchcraft amidst political and religious turmoil in 17th-century France. The film’s explicit portrayal of religious figures and its unflinching exploration of lust, power, and madness sparked intense backlash upon release, leading to censorship and bans in multiple countries, including Ireland, Finland, Chile, and Malaysia. In England, local authorities in 17 councils blocked its screening, and the film was prohibited in Italy despite receiving accolades, including a best director award for Russell at the 1971 Venice International Film Festival.

The restoration effort has been championed by film critic Mark Kermode, who first met Russell in 1995 and pledged to recover the lost footage. Despite initial reports that the censored reels had been destroyed, Kermode discovered the suppressed material more than 20 years ago after tracking shipping logs. The recovered tapes, mislabeled and transported across continents multiple times, contained the missing “Rape of Christ” scene alongside other excised content. Kermode described the footage as depicting nuns engaged in explicit acts involving a crucifix, a sequence Russell considered among his best work.

The restoration, completed in December of last year, was a collaborative undertaking involving Kermode, the film’s original editor Mike Bradsell, and filmmaker Paul Joyce, who documented the process in his 2004 film *Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of The Devils*. Joyce, now in his 80s, detailed the painstaking reassembly of the original cut, an intricate process that required negotiation with Warner Bros., the studio controlling the film’s rights. While the studio initially resisted releasing a director’s cut, citing objections to the material’s tone, a younger generation within Warner Bros. eventually supported the restoration campaign.

*The Devils* remains provocative, a deliberate artistic choice by Russell, who sought to present the characters as “modern” people living in a “modern town,” despite the film’s historical setting. The restored version includes previously excised scenes such as Sister Jeanne’s descent into madness and her disturbing obsession with Grandier’s remains.

The film was not without defenders at the time of its release. Father Gene Phillips, a Catholic priest advising the Legion of Decency, acknowledged the depiction of blasphemy in the film but argued it was not itself blasphemous. However, critics like Evening Standard’s Alexander Walker condemned the film as “monstrously indecent,” an insult that led to a famous incident in which Russell struck Walker with the paper during a televised interview.

With *The Devils* set for global theatrical re-release, audiences will finally have the opportunity to engage with Russell’s complete vision, unabridged and restored more than 50 years after its initial release.