Don't Deliver Us from Evil (1971)

Too much of everything

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Banned in France for Blasphemy back when it was made in'71 "Don't Deliver us from Evil" was a very controversial film at the time mostly because of it's unconventional plot based on two innocent looking teenage catholic school girls who devote themselves to Satan and go on very mischievous (for lack of a better term) adventures and at times sexually arousing (teasing) much older adult men which in effect works against them and we witness some very shocking scenes of sexual assault which left me wondering while watching whether this film is actually legal due to the fact the girls are playing 14 and 15 year old girls. Thankfully I learned when reading about the film afterwords that the girls are actually 19 and 20 years old in real life. The ending is truly brilliant and has to be seen to be believed! It will stay with you for quite some time. One of the things that make this such an effective film is the fact that the acting is very well done by everyone specifically the two girls playing Anne (Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (Catherine Wagner) anyone else and the results would have been much less effective IMO. Although, as notorious as this film maybe I can't say other than a few scenes I mentioned above this would be a really shocking watch to anyone who's into European exploitation films of the 70's or anyone like me who's grown up in a time of modern day horror films when pretty much everything has been done. Still, if you were to show this to the uninitiated or the religious type in theaters today you might have more than a few people walk out completely offended. Legendary DVD label Mondo Macabro released this obscure gem quite awhile ago on DVD and did a fantastic job making this film look amazing as only MM can do with very informational extra features as well. Very beautifully shot and would go great as a second feature to Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. One of my favorite movies of all time! 10/10

Two young girls become heavily inspired by the death & doom rhetorics of their local priest (and some private lecture) as they witness the false values at their Catholic girl school. They decide they belong to Satan and they will do his bidding in the upcoming summer vacation... Things get way out of hand, but it takes a while before they are actually in such big trouble that they themselves actually see no other way out than a theatrical suicide.'Mais ne nous...' is a bold and naughty film, though Jeanne Goupil and Catherine Wagener were respectively 21 and 19 years old at the time. Their acting may not always be flawless, but it comes across as spontaneous and sincere. Following these two teenage girls liberating themselves from social and religious chains, one will more than once feel uneasy at their unflinching manners, but still this a unique and creative little tale that ought to be seen by every emo, goth or other alternative human spirit out there today.9 out of 10.

The pacing of this film is, well fans would say European, I'd say just a bit slow in a way that grinds on you. It's not poorly made or shot but isn't so well made as to overcome its low budget either. Now seeing it after the masterpiece Heavenly Creatures of course it seems less of a film worth seeing. This is a much different take on the material and completeists will probably be Glad they saw it.There is some convincing animal cruelty in the film that is perhaps a bit too real and there certainly are elements that would draw the "raincoat" crowd to the film. The script is a bit of a one note affair, supporting characters tend to pop up in a confusing way. Suddenly the girls are at a satanic ceremony, how did they find this local satanist, why does he go along with them? I don't know and neither will you.But the film doesn't really stop to be exploitation, nor are the girls "hot" enough for it to work on that level. These are girls who aren't really beautiful yet, they've lost the innocent beauty of children and it's really unclear if they will become plane or even ugly adults or what? I suppose that's a virtue. The posters for the film certainly make it seem like an exploitation movie and it's not.But be prepared for a sort of slow march to a memorable ending. Be prepared to be patient or use your fast forward button if you want to watch it.

I was 15 when I first saw this movie, back in 1973. I was studying GCE Film at a boarding school in Essex, when our tutor screened 'Don't deliver us' for our mock O Level paper. The theme was censorship and immediately it became obvious that the censors were in for a tough time. Notwithstanding the sexual content of the film and the depraved way in which the two girls flout there vulnerability to the innocent village idiot, the film really ran into trouble with it's anti-Catholic theme which is prominent throughout. This aside the film has plenty to say and with the advancement in our tolerance of the shocking and with more acceptance of criticism of the church, I feel it is time to give this film an airing and test it's ability to deliver a message.