Though its titles invokes the Prince of Darkness and it is categorized as horror, there's not much by way of occult goings-on in this film. The pedestrian plot involves one Gaston de Malabranche (Guillermo Bredeston), a nobleman who leads a peasants' revolt against a despotic lord, with whom he had fought side-by-side against the British.
Thanks to his manipulative wife, Baron Gilles de Lancre (Paul Naschy) has sold his soul to the Devil. He also employs an alchemist who uses the blood of virgins to make his concoctions (which never seem to do anything). The baron's goal is to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and the Ars Magna, which will enable him to seize the throne of France. It is unclear exactly what Gilles received in exchange for his immortal soul. We're told he possesses great powers, yet he is unable to keep a peasants' mob from killing his men and storming the castle. He even loses an eye in a jousting match. If I were Gilles, I'd be on the horn to Hell's customer service department!
For all its violence and (barely) exposed female flesh, DEVIL'S POSSESSED is neither gory nor erotic. It consists mainly of badly staged sword fights, a humdrum jousting tournament, tepid scenes of torture, and the baron's repeated ranting and raving about the Philosopher's Stone and Ars Magna. Since the film never explains what it is, I googled "Ars Magna." It's a 16th-century book on algebra written by Girolamo Cardano. Seems all one needs to become the King of France is a math book and a magic rock. Why even bother to sell your soul to the Devil?
For many years, Paul Naschy was France's #1 horror star, and with good reason. DEVIL'S POSSESSED, however, was his equivalent of Bela Lugosi starring in THE CORPSE VANISHES.
Thanks to his manipulative wife, Baron Gilles de Lancre (Paul Naschy) has sold his soul to the Devil. He also employs an alchemist who uses the blood of virgins to make his concoctions (which never seem to do anything). The baron's goal is to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and the Ars Magna, which will enable him to seize the throne of France. It is unclear exactly what Gilles received in exchange for his immortal soul. We're told he possesses great powers, yet he is unable to keep a peasants' mob from killing his men and storming the castle. He even loses an eye in a jousting match. If I were Gilles, I'd be on the horn to Hell's customer service department!
For all its violence and (barely) exposed female flesh, DEVIL'S POSSESSED is neither gory nor erotic. It consists mainly of badly staged sword fights, a humdrum jousting tournament, tepid scenes of torture, and the baron's repeated ranting and raving about the Philosopher's Stone and Ars Magna. Since the film never explains what it is, I googled "Ars Magna." It's a 16th-century book on algebra written by Girolamo Cardano. Seems all one needs to become the King of France is a math book and a magic rock. Why even bother to sell your soul to the Devil?
For many years, Paul Naschy was France's #1 horror star, and with good reason. DEVIL'S POSSESSED, however, was his equivalent of Bela Lugosi starring in THE CORPSE VANISHES.