Hell on Earth- Making The Devils
Ken Russell is a British film maker who has made numerous great films. Perhaps his greatest and most controversial was 1971’s The Devils. The film is a completely incredible horrifying yet beautifully insane vision based on real events in France, and ultimately how those in power use mythology in tandem with the gullibility of people, to aid themselves in removing their enemies. Here is a description from IMDB-
Cardinal Richelieu and his power-hungry entourage seek to take control of seventeenth-century France, but need to destroy Father Grandier - the priest who runs the fortified town that prevents them from exerting total control. So they seek to destroy him by setting him up as a warlock in control of a devil-possessed nunnery, the mother superior of which is sexually obsessed by him. A mad witch-hunter is brought in to gather evidence against the priest, ready for the big trial.
Below is a clip from a recently released hour long documentary on the making of the film. At the time of course this film was incredibly controversial. Today I doubt it could even get made by a mainstream film maker.
Hell on Earth- Part Two
Hell on Earth- Part Three
