The Devils (1971)

Crafty controversialist Ken Russell rustles up his regulars Georgina (The Boy Friend, Lisztomania, Mahler, Valentino) Hale and Oliver (Dante’s Inferno, The Debussy Film, Tommy, Women in Love) Reed to play ill-fated lovers in The Devils (1971). Based on Aldous Huxley’s “The Devils of Loudun” (1953), this historic horror story documents mass hysteria, witch hunting, and finger pointing in 17th century France. Back then, Father Urbain Grandier (Reed) was a powerful priest with more charisma and cajones than a modern-day rock star. As such, the females in his flock wanted to flock him. One of his groupies is Philippa Trincant (Hale) whose fling with Grandier leaves her with a baby. When the man of the cloth moves on to other babes, his jilted ex tells her father Louis Trincant (John Woodvine) who serves as the prosecutor to King Louis XIII (Graham Armitage). If that’s not troublesome enough, a hump-backed nun (Vanessa Redgrave) with an unrequited crush on the passionate priest fuels accusations against the object of her desire. In a bid for power, Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) targets Grandier for bewitching the nuns. By the time the cleric settles down with the town’s most devout woman, it’s too late to stop the religious zealots and corrupt officials from burning him alive. Yet before his demise, Grandier gets to wed and bed Madeleine de Brou (Gemma Jones) who bares her breasts. The X rated film also features Judith Paris, Dudley Sutton, Catherine Willmer, and Ms. Hale’s full frontal nudity! Can we get an amen?