Nobleman Baron Gilles de Lancre (Paul Naschy in fine sadistic form) falls under the pernicious control of his evil mistress Georgelle (a nicely wicked portrayal by ravishing blonde Norma Sebre) and her shrewd alchemist accomplice Simon de Braqueville (a sound turn by Eduardo Calvo). Gilles begins a vicious reign of terror over his village that includes torture and ritualistic sacrifices. It's up to a band of outlaws to overthrow him. Director Leon Klimovsky, working from an engrossing script by Naschy, relates the intriguing story at a steady pace, delivers a vivid evocation of the flavorsome medieval period setting, stages the lively sword fights with real rip-roaring flair, and certainly doesn't skimp on the bloody violence and raw brutality. Moreover, the plot has neat similarities to Shakespeare's "Macbeth," Naschy has an absolute ball with his juicy bad guy role, and there are praiseworthy contributions from Guillermo Bredeston as the dashing Gaston de Malebrauche and Graciela Nilson as sweet fair maiden Graciela. Francisco Sanchez's crisp cinematography gives the picture an impressively sumptuous look. Carlo Viziello's alternately harmonic and dissonant score does the trick. Worth a watch for Naschy fans.
Review of Devil's Possessed
