As you can tell, in these parts we are super excited for the October re-release of Ken Russell's 1971 masterpiece, The Devils. The aptly named Sister Hyde Design (who we have featured in these parts in the past for the Faces of Death reimagining, among others) has taken one of many unforgettable images from the film to create this creamy minimal and decidedly modern poster.
Chains hang from each side of the frame, coupled to restraints as Vanessa Redgrave has her arms raised high, containing the title and credit block in a very handsome bit of typesetting. The contrast of the black habit, the flesh-tones, and the light cream, in which her clothes fade into the negative space. NC-17 is tucked down in the bottom, just to underscore what unsuspecting audiences may be in for. It's iconic. It's a marvel.
And in 1971, the poster designers went all in on a more textual warning. "The Devils is not a film for everyone..." seems an odd way to get bums in seats, but it is a fair disclosure of Russell's wild and weird collision of politics, organized religion, hysteria, and spirituality. Visually shocking and disturbing is indeed par for the course, even if the text gets a bit passive aggressive at the end, "It is our hope that only the audience that will appreciate The Devils will come to see it." Times were certainly different back then, both in filmmaking, and marketing.
But you can see the same kind of minimalism on display here, with only Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave in profile on top of one another, almost in collage-like miniature, with the text doing the heavy lifting.
Two great designs, for one great work of cinema.