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The Devil(Diabel)

  • Dir: Andrzej Zuławski

  • Poland, 1972, Polish, 125mins, DCP

  • Cast: Wojciech Pszoniak, Leszek Teleszynski, Malgorzata Braunek

Before he won cult fame for his psychologicalhorror film Possession

, Polish maverick Andrzej Żuławski delivered this beastly picture ofinsanity, fear and evil. Political prisoner Jakub,already worn down by torture, is freed from jail by a black-caped character and manipulated into mounting mania. The stranger takes Jakub to family, friends and others, and at each stop prods the ex-prisoner to kill. Żuławski based the tale on Polish authorities' 1968 stoking of student protests as an excuse for crackdowns,and cloaked the theme with 18th century costume, a frenzied atmosphere and fuzzed-out psych rock. Censors weren't impressed,and the film lay banned for 17 years. A fierce exploration of mind games and madness.

Screening:

In-theatre Screening