Andrzej Zulawski's 1972 The Devil, which was withheld from release by Communist authorities in Poland for nearly 20 years (and not just because it was a bad movie), is a weird, chaotic, and fundamentally repulsive film that tries to make a darkly satiric statement about the abuse of authority but loses its message in an almost intolerable excess of violence, sexuality, and incoherence. What passes for plot focuses on a young 17th-century Polish army officer, imprisoned on charges of attempting to assassinate the king, who's rescued during a Prussian invasion by a strange voluble man who follows the officer back to his family's estate and urges the already disturbed officer to acts of increasing brutality involving his father's body (who committed suicide), his insane sister and her peculiar beau, his pregnant fiancée (who married his best friend during his absence), a family servant who happens to be a dwarf, and a very strange band of touring players. There's a bit of Fellini in all of this, but Zulawski lacks the Italian master's visual dexterity and lightness of touch, and his film comes across as alternately ponderous and frenzied, while at the same time being almost incessantly ugly. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)
The Devil
Facets, 119 min., in Polish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.95 January 7, 2008
The Devil
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: