Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal (1971)

Director:

Joël Séria

Writers:

Joël Séria (dialogue)
Joël Séria (scenario)

Release Date:

18 March 1972 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

At First It Was Just a Game

Plot:

Anne and Lore, neighbors and best friends, barely into their teens, board at a convent school where they have taken a vow to sin and to serve Satan...

Plot Keywords:

Nun | Convent School | Murder | Blasphemy | Saphism

Cast

Jeanne Goupil	...	Anne
Catherine Wagener	...	Lore
Bernard Dhéran	...	L'automobiliste / Motorist
Gérard Darrieu	...	Émile
Marc Dudicourt	...	L'aumônier
Michel Robin	...	Léon
Véronique Silver	...	La comtesse / The Countess
Jean-Pierre Helbert	...	Le comte / The Count
Nicole Mérouze	...	Mme Fournier / Mrs. Fournier
Henri Poirier	...	Monsieur Fournier (as Henry Poirier)
Serge Frédéric	...	Le curé / Priest
René Berthier	...	Gustave
Frédéric Nort	...	Le facteur
Jean-Daniel Ehrmann	...	Le commissaire (as Jean Daniel Ehrmann)
Dominique Ney

Also Known As:

Don't Deliver Us from Evil (USA) (alternative transliteration) (USA) (DVD title)
But don't deliver us from Evil (Europe: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:110 min (DVD version)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Dolby 2.0) (DVD version)

Certification:

France:-16 (re-rating) | France:(Banned) (original rating) | USA:Unrated (DVD rating)

Company:

Société Générale de Production

Goofs:

Continuity: During the Satanic Mass and the following Lake Scene, the two girls wear see-through dresses. During the Mass, one can easily notice that Lore is wearing black panties, but, during the Lake Scene, she evidently wears nothing under her dress.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hellish Creatures (2006) (V)

Time to deliver the message

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.