Tom Charity of the Vancouver International Film Centre passed on this link to Mark Kermode's discussion on the upcoming BFI DVD release of The Devils (thanks!). As I expected (see below), the Rape of Christ has not been reinstated, nor any of the other material removed before the film was certified - which I imagine also includes that charred tibia masturbation scene that I so want to see. As I've said elsewhere, that scene is far more important than the Rape of Christ, since it depicts the posthumous connsumation of the relationship between Jeanne and Grandier (who has been burned at the stake; all that remains of him is a very phallic chunk of bone, which, when presented to her as a souvenir, Jeanne puts to good use...). Unlike that scene, there is truly something excessive about the Rape of Christ; the film has plenty 'nuff already of orgying nuns indulging in sacrilege, such that no real further points are scored by pushing it as far as Russell does. Not that I object, and of course I'm all for the scene being reinstated, and I think the BFI folks are being a bit CHICKENSHIT here (tho' Kermode, in, erm, shilling for them a wee bit, does have a point, that there HAVE been inferior director's cuts released in the past - we can add Donnie Darko to his list; I for one can't stand the tinkered-with version of The Exorcist, and would rather watch the original Apocalypse Now over Redux any day.) But I won't be satisfied until BOTH the Rape and the tibia masturbation are back in the film, which seems to imply that I will never, ever be satisfied. Ever.
On the other hand, the good news, I guess, is that I won't feel compelled to upgrade my recently-acquired Korean DVD of it. Which is good. I'm out of money. I will review that disc as soon as it arrives.
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