Drama, History, Horror  •  1971  •  112 min  •  Adults (18+)

The Devils (1971)

The Devils poster

The Devils (1971)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Christianity: Negative

Viewer Rating
6.5

Overview

In 1634 France, charismatic Father Urbain Grandier becomes the target of a sexually obsessed nun’s witchcraft accusations, which corrupt church and state officials are all too happy to exploit.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


Starring Cast

Vanessa Redgrave  •   Oliver Reed  •   Dudley Sutton

Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Leans Progressive

Primary

Political: Strong Left
Confidence: High

The film's central thesis explicitly critiques the abuse of power by religious and state institutions, exposing the dangers of fanaticism, sexual repression, and political manipulation as instruments of control and destruction.

Diversity: Low
Confidence: High

The film features a cast predominantly composed of white actors, consistent with its 17th-century French historical setting. The narrative critiques religious institutions and the abuse of power, rather than focusing on modern diversity, equity, and inclusion themes or offering a critical portrayal of traditional identities.

Secondary

Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Confidence: High

The film actively subverts and critiques traditional family values by depicting a protagonist who rejects celibacy and marriage for illicit affairs, and by portraying religious institutions as oppressive forces that prevent traditional family formation and lead to sexual repression and societal breakdown.

Christianity: Negative
Confidence: High

The film portrays the Catholic Church (a major branch of Christianity) and its institutions as fundamentally corrupt, hypocritical, cruel, and oppressive. It depicts religious fanaticism, sexual repression, and political manipulation leading to torture and execution, with the narrative unequivocally condemning these abuses of power within the faith.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: Medium

The Devils explores themes of religious fanaticism, sexual repression, and political power through the story of Father Grandier and Sister Jeanne. The narrative does not include any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or explicit themes related to queer identity. The film's intense focus on heterosexual repression and institutional abuse of power does not extend to or implicitly address same-sex relationships or gender identity.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

The film does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or explore themes related to gender identity or transition. Its narrative focuses on religious hysteria, political corruption, and sexual repression in 17th-century France, primarily through the experiences of cisgender characters such as Father Urbain Grandier and Sister Jeanne des Anges.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is a historical drama based on real events and documented historical figures. All major characters, including Urbain Grandier and Sister Jeanne des Anges, are portrayed with the same gender as their historical counterparts, aligning with established records.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film is a historical drama set in 17th-century France, based on real historical figures and events. All major characters, including Urbain Grandier and Sister Jeanne des Anges, are portrayed by actors whose race aligns with the historical and canonical depictions of these figures.

Hinduism: N/A
Confidence: High

Not depicted in the film.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

6.5

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.7
The Movie Database logo
7.5

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
5.5
Metacritic logo
5.4

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