The Devils (1971) Dir: Ken Russell

Ken Russell's censor baiting tale of fornicating nuns and demonic possession is a challenging affair.

The plot:
It's 17th century France, and a powerful Cardinal seeks to take ultimate control of his dominion. All have fallen before his sword save for one enclave, governed over by a decidedly dubious Priest, who refuses to bow to orders. Demanding a proclamation before he will yield authority, a ruse is plotted to topple his authority: accuse the priest of demonic possession, and all who follow him.

Ken Russell is a filmmaker who, intentionally or otherwise, courts controversy. Whether it's challenging relationship and gender boundaries in Women in Love or baffling audiences with his interpretation of Lair of the White Worm, his is a style that is most definitely unique.
The term auteur seems to have been coined for him alone.
With images designed to shock, especially when the nuns cast off their chaste and innocent shackles and set about masturbating and fornicating with some gusto, this is a movie with one clear intent: to challenge the viewer at every turn.
And it's a tough watch.
I'm not one easily offended and, truthfully, at no point was I shocked by this, but I was fatigued by the experience. As the movie progresses, so Russell cranks up the intensity to levels that Oliver Stone circa Natural Born Killers could only ever dream of.
An important movie, and one that has only recently been reinstated to it's original form and, to the best of my knowledge, one that remains banned in the UK in it's uncut state.
A film that every movie lover should see, though I suspect only a select few will find much to enjoy.

4 out of 5

The Exorcist (1973) Dir: William Friedkin

Without question the finest horror movie ever made, that has lost none of its power to freeze the blood in the near forty years since its original unleashing.
The plot: Regan, a young girl, daughter of a well known movie actress begins exhibiting startling and provocative behaviour, the extremity of which appears to be on the rise. Her mother tries all of the usual experts; doctors, psychiatrists, but none of them can explain her bizarre behaviour, much less the fact that, when in her frenzied state, her actual appearance appears to change almost as if she were becoming someone else, and someone damn ugly at that.
At her wits end, Regan's mother turns to those experts in all things spiritual (and a few other things I shall choose not to mention) the Catholic church, and begs a young priest, on the cusp of renouncing his own faith, to perform an exorcism on her daughter. Skeptical at first, he is soon convinced when he pays a visit on Regan, but he himself must seek permission from the Church. His immediate superior accepts his request, on the condition that an elder Priest lead the exorcism, Father Merrin, played with genuine conviction by the marvellous Max Von Sydow.
Can the two priests save the little girl and vanquish the evil spirit?
What was that damn stuff that spewed from her mouth?
And was there anyone that didn't cheer when the annoying drunken Englishman was hurled from the window?
This movie is so good it renders me literally speechless every time I watch it.
It has it all:
It's scary as hell, with an atmosphere to chill the stoniest of hearts.
There's the odd moment of gruelly nastiness, with the infamous pea soup vomit, head twisting sequences and vaginal abuse with a crucifix.
Talking of crucifixes being used inappropriately, there's a healthy line in blasphemy throughout - something I always approve of - with the church held up to ridicule by the monstrosity within the small girl though, of course, ultimately faith wins out over fear.
Shame.
The performances from all are top notch, with special mentions for Linda Blair as Regan, a more convincing teenager as demonic force you'll be hard pushed to find, whilst Ellen Burstyn (she sounds like someone who really needs to take a pee) does a sterling job of capturing the terror any parent would feel should their child happen to be, say, possessed by something monstrous.
Having spent time with my sister's kids, I think it's a more frequent occurrence than you may suspect.
Wonderfully paced, beautifully shot and THAT score from Mike Oldfield, this is about as good as cinema gets.

5 out of 5. Inevitably.