Marquis de Cinema 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

Scott LeBrun This jaw dropping drama from France and director Joel Seria is sleazy and exploitative enough to understand all too well why it would get banned for blasphemy. The girls in the leads were older than what they were playing, but that doesn't make some of their scenes any less uncomfortable. His basic story of innocence allowing itself to be corrupted has a great deal of impact, especially since that innocence never completely goes away; these two girls remain pretty naive about the things that they do, and ultimately panic when they think that all will be discovered. This is all shot in a pretty straightforward way, and it's acted in an awfully convincing manner.Anne (brunette Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (blonde Catherine Wagener) are two girls, barely into their teens, who meet in a Catholic school and become intrigued with reading material that has been deemed forbidden. They get it into their heads to renounce God and devote themselves to Satan. Determined that their friendship survive no matter what, they start indulging in all sorts of bad behaviour, teasing and tormenting various older men. They cross a line when their attempts to seduce a motorist (Bernard Dheran) end badly.The uninitiated may well come to believe that, based on the films' reputation, that sleaze is all it has to offer, but it's also a tragic and upsetting story of adolescent curiosity. Certainly it's disturbing to watch as these kids commit arson, engage in acts of animal cruelty, and flaunt their bodies in front of men. The music by Claude Germain & Dominique Ney is haunting, there is a very literate quality to some of the dialogue, and the film does have a beautiful look courtesy of the cinematographer, Marcel Combes. It's also clear that Seria is critical of the Catholic church and is commenting on the idle rich as well.Once you see that disturbing finale, it will be pretty hard to forget it.This may play to a fairly limited audience but they're sure to find it worth viewing.Eight out of 10.

VIOlencEandpAIN I recently purchased this movie under the English title DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL to add to my growing collection of Euro-trash titles, thinking it was of the same ilk as the works of Jesus Franco and the like. While it does have some schlock elements, this movie is evidently based on a true story ("based" being the operative word, I'm sure) about two Catholic schoolgirls who decide, for whatever reason, to dedicate their lives to Satan. Overall, it's not a bad story, but it's an attempt at a tragic tale with very little sympathy being earned for the two protagonists.The two schoolgirls, Anne (Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (Catherine Wagener), begin this story in a convent, hiding under a bed. They've come across some lesbian erotica apparently owned by one or two nuns. I was sort of expecting there might be some softcore porn as time went on, but to no avail--and worry not, the two actresses playing these roles were actually around the age of twenty when this was filmed. They've dedicated their lives to the dark side of the force, and as the movie progresses, they continue doing some rather awful things to the people around them, including: telling a priest about the lesbian nuns, killing some poor guy's pet birds, and setting fire to several bails of hay on some farm. Probably the worst of it is their tendency to deliberately tempt two different men with their underage bodies, only to almost end up getting raped in the process; both of these scenes are somewhat difficult to watch. It is the two latter events that brings in the sleaze element to this movie, the second of which results in their killing the man in question. After this, things go pretty much downhill for the duo.The story itself isn't terrible, although it does drag on at times. The general design and the score do bring a certain aesthetic to the movie, but that might not be enough for some viewers. The ending is rather interesting, if not bizarre, as it does contain some laughable elements. Is it worth watching? Well, don't go in expecting something along the lines of gore and heavy nudity, and you might enjoy it. Sounds like Peter Jackson covered the story years later with HEAVENLY CREATURES, and I can only imagine he did a much better job with it. Maybe it's best to check out that version instead.

The_Void It's quite unbelievable that this film doesn't have a better reputation, as Joël Séria's Don't Deliver Us From Evil is an intricately worked little shocker that is sure to appeal to fans of European cinema. It's clear that the film was made in France, as the plotting, style and atmosphere of the movie is very French indeed, and this benefits the movie as it wallows in the imperfections of its lead characters; two sexy, yet underage convent school girls that decide to forsake God and take sides with The Devil. Both characters clearly have the urge to do evil already in them, but the way that director Joël Séria coaxes them into committing sinful acts is good because the characters are easy to care for; but their acts make them easy to detest; and as we all know - God hates the sin, not the sinner. The themes of straying from the moral acts that we've all been taught since birth shine through well, as the pair at the centre of the story are completely angelic, and on the face of it; look like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. It can be said that the actual plotting isn't all that shocking; but everything in the film is made more so by the fact that it's stars are so young.The 'evil' that the young girls do involves reading forbidden material at first, and eventually moves on to teasing men, arson and murdering people's pets. Joël Séria doesn't shy away from featuring nudity in the film; and the pair of scenes that handle attempted rape don't leave much to the imagination. Don't Deliver Us From Evil benefits from a pair of great performances from young French actresses Jeanne Goupil and Catherine Wagener. Both give the film their all and give mature portrayals of their characters. The film is said to be a horror film; but it isn't really the case, as the focus is more on the drama and the corruption of youth than the satanic themes. The director doesn't allow the film to descend into comic book styling's, like some other films handling Satan do; and this benefits the film as it always seems serious and mature. Don't Deliver Us From Evil (great title, by the way!) is not as shocking now as it would have been upon it's release in 1970 - but still the film holds some weight in the shock stakes as many of the ideas that it portrays are still taboo to this day. Overall, this is a fascinating watch and one that should be seen by anyone who has a chance to see it!