Ken Russell's The Devils

The most controversial and censored movie of 1971 has finally been restored to its full glory — and it might just be the greatest Faust fable of all time. Vanessa Rengrave's Sister Jeanne is easily the best Mephistopheles ever put to screen, and Oliver Reed's Grandier is an operatic, literally mustache-twirling Faustus. In this episode, we're breaking out the Marlowe to do a full-bodied analysis of Ken Russell's The Devils through a Faustian lens. Topics include: offscreen contracts, implied terms, the effect that a hundred Mephistopheles have on one Faustus, Ken Russell's brutal interpretation of Faustus' final exclamation, the titular pluralism that defines this reading of Marlowe, and, more broadly, the unrivaled cultural staying power of the Faust mythology.

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00:00 The Faustian Lens 03:56 Many Mephistopheles 06:00 Offscreen Contract 10:06 Debating the Marriage 16:04 Dragged Down to Hell 17:07 Faustus' Final Line 20:06 The Mock Crucifixion 21:21 Parade(s) of the Seven Deadly Sins 23:31 Looking for Lucifer 25:06 Sister Jeanne Analysis 28:16 Populist Plurality 30:19 Slight of Hand Tragedy 31:36 Why Faustus Matters t33:16 Closing Thoughts