Mark Kermode & Daphne Dentz On Restoring ‘Ken Russell’s The Devils’: “There’s A Balance Between The Grain, The Dirt, The Vibe And The Look”

Mark Kermode’s long search for the censored footage from Ken Russell’s 1971 film *The Devils* helped lead to a restoration that presents the version Russell originally intended. The recovered scene is central to the film’s portrayal of religious hysteria being exploited for political ends, and its return has helped renew interest in a work that was heavily cut after its release.

Kermode found a shipping-log entry marked “C-cut 86” in the Warner Bros. archive; the film canister contained the missing sequence, which he assembled with original editor Michael Bradsell in 2004. The restored film has taken $1.725 million from 350 North American locations, averaging $4,925 per screen, and its run has been extended. It is due to open in the UK next weekend, ahead of Halloween.