The uncut version of Ken Russell's controversial horror film The Devils will be shown in UK and Irish cinemas for the first time on October 30, 2026, following a 4K restoration by BFI Distribution in partnership with Warner Bros. Clockwork. This marks the first time the complete uncensored cut, which previously caused walkouts and protests, will be available to the general public.
History of Censorship and Bans
Written, produced, and directed by British filmmaker Ken Russell, The Devils stars Oliver Reed as Father Urbain Grandier, a priest in 17th-century France who clashes with Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) after a series of supposed possessions in Loudun. Cardinal Richelieu manipulates a repressed nun, Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), to accuse Grandier of witchcraft, leading to his execution.
Before its 1971 release, Warner Bros. and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) forced significant cuts, removing two key scenes entirely. One scene, known as the 'Rape of Christ,' shows naked nuns desecrating a statue of Jesus while Father-Canon Jean Mignon (Murray Melvin) watches and masturbates. The other scene, which never reached cinemas, depicted Sister Jeanne touching herself with the charred femur of Grandier after his burning at the stake.
Despite the cuts, The Devils was banned by 17 local councils in the UK and several countries worldwide due to its graphic and blasphemous content. In cinemas where it did screen, it prompted walkouts, protests, and condemnation from the Vatican. Nevertheless, Russell won best director awards at the 33rd Venice International Film Festival and the US National Board of Review in 1971, and the film received critical acclaim as 'a masterpiece' and 'the most controversial film in history.'
Restoration and Release Details
The restored 4K cut was made under Russell's direction and previously shown at the 79th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Stuart Brown, BFI director of programme and distribution, called the film 'one of the great masterpieces of British cinema' and expressed delight in partnering with Warner Bros. Clockwork to present the restoration. He noted that the BFI has long supported Russell's work and sees this as a fitting privilege to bring the landmark restoration to audiences across the UK and Ireland.
This cut was originally reconstructed in 2004 under Russell's supervision with editor Michael Bradsell, in collaboration with Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce. Though it had been shown in private screenings, this is the first public release. The restoration is historically significant as it marks the first time in Warner Bros' 103-year history that the studio has distributed an NC-17 rated film.
Cultural and Artistic Significance
Film restoration is 'critical for both the preservation of significant works of art, but also the education and appreciation of the history of cinema,' Brown explained. He emphasized that new restorations provide opportunities to present films to younger audiences who haven't seen them in theaters. London's Prince Charles Cinema is among the venues screening the film; head of programming Paul Vickey said there is no film that has been requested more often in his time there, and that it 'transcends generational desires or niche interests.'
Amber T, lead news writer at FANGORIA, called the release 'monumental' for fighting censorship in the arts. She noted that in an era of social media policing language and audiences being shocked by the naked human body, it's important to have art that challenges tastes in a safe, fictional environment. She also highlighted that the film's critique of institutional abuse of power, particularly religious, remains relevant today.
The full 4K cut of The Devils will be shown in select UK and Irish cinemas on October 30, 2026, offering audiences the chance to see the film as Russell originally intended, without the cuts that had blunted its impact for over half a century.
