The Devils (Special Uncut Restored Edition)

Ken Russell's provocative historical drama follows Father Urbain Grandier, a charismatic priest whose political independence makes him a target in 17th-century France. As Cardinal Richelieu's agents seek control of the fortified town of Loudun, accusations of possession and scandal are used to destroy Grandier and silence resistance. This restored uncut edition presents the film's controversial vision of religious hysteria, corruption and power with previously removed footage.

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There is no official, studio-sanctioned "Special Uncut Restored Edition" DVD that contains Ken Russell's fully unedited 1971 masterpiece, The Devils. While physical copies bearing this exact title circulate widely on online marketplaces, they are unauthorized, bootleg releases stitched together from different media sources.

The status of this film on home video is a complex tale of studio suppression, censorship, and unofficial grey-market alternatives.

The Truth About the "Special Uncut Restored Edition" DVDs

If you see a DVD online titled "The Devils (Special Uncut Restored Edition)" or "Uncut and Unrated" (often listing a 111-minute runtime), it is an unofficial bootleg.

• The Source Material: These discs are typically created by fans or grey-market labels. They usually take the standard, lower-quality U.S. video transfer and manually splice in deleted footage.
• The Spliced Footage: The re-inserted scenes usually include the infamous "Rape of Christ" sequence and Sister Jeanne's final scene with the bone. Because these scenes were sourced from old VHS tapes or a 2002 TV documentary (Hell on Earth), the visual quality noticeably drops whenever the uncut footage plays.
• Viewer Consensus: Reviewers on platforms like eBay note that while these bootlegs offer a glimpse of the full movie, the overall video transfer is often very dark, muddy, and low-quality.

The Only Official DVD Releases

Warner Bros. has historically suppressed the director's cut due to its highly controversial religious and sexual themes. Only two official versions have ever made it to DVD:

1. The BFI Special Edition (UK Import - Region 2): In 2012, the British Film Institute (BFI)  allowed to release the original 1971 UK X-rated cut on DVD. This is a high-quality, authorized transfer approved by Ken Russell, but it excludes the "R$ape of Christ" scene from the main feature (keeping it only as a separate bonus feature or documentary excerpt). It requires a region-free DVD player to watch in the U.S.
2. The U.S. R-Rated Cut: This version has occasionally been made available via standard Warner Home Video distribution or limited streaming. However, it is heavily censored, missing significant amounts of narrative and thematic context.

Massive News for Cinephiles (Summer 2026)

If you are looking for a true, definitive high-quality release, you will not have to rely on shoddy DVDs much longer. Warner Bros. recently unveiled a stunning, brand-new 4K uncut restoration of The Devils at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Assembled directly from the original camera negative, this version restores all censored sequences in flawless quality. Warner Bros.' new specialty arm, Clockwork, will debut the film in select theaters starting October 16, 2026, with an official, pristine home media disc release (4K/Blu-ray) expected shortly thereafter.

Format: DVD