Don't Deliver Us from Evil – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1971
Director: Joël Séria
Writer: Joël Séria
Cast: Jeanne Goupil, Catherine Wagener, Bernard Dhéran, Gérard Darrieu, Marc Dudicourt, Michel Robin, Véronique Silver, Jean-Pierre Helbert, Nicole Mérouze, Henri Poirier, Serge Frédéric

Release Date: February 7th, 2023
Approximate running time: 102 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Two young convent girls become friends and decide to spend the summer together. However, their innocent bicycle rides and walks in the country soon develop a much more sinister side. Influenced by their reading of forbidden books, they decide to explore the world of perversion and cruelty. They find a victim and use their innocent appearance to seduce and destroy him. Once they have stepped over the line, they find it impossible to stop. And soon they are contemplating the ultimate evil act." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Brand new restoration from original negative”.

Don't Deliver Us from Evil comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.8 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look correct; image clarity, black levels, color saturation, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look. That said, it is hard to imagine Don't Deliver Us from Evil looking better than it does here.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, an archive interview with actress Jeanne Goupil (11 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archive interview with director Joël Séria (15 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a new interview with Joël Séria (21 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archive interview with writer/film critic Paul Buck (12 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary from Kat Ellinger.

Summary:

Don’t Deliver Us from Evil is the controversial debut film by director Joël Séria that was banned in many countries due mostly to its depiction of the Catholic church. For a first-time filmmaker, it is remarkable what he was able to achieve considering Don’t Deliver Us from Evil's miniscule budget. Notable is the striking cinematography, which is filled with symbolic imagery, and the earworm musical score by composers Claude Germain and Dominique Ney, which perfectly reinforces the mood. Also, the use of actual locations greatly enhances the story at hand.

Anne and Lore, the two protagonists, are both devious. They play pranks on men like Emile, the farmer's son, and they kill defenseless animals like birds for no reason at all. These brief moments of animal cruelty are by far and away the most disturbing footage in Don’t Deliver Us from Evil. The main turning point in Don’t Deliver Us from Evil occurs when the girls pick up a stranded motorist, whom they tease and seduce like all the other men. He gets turned on just like the other, only this time the girls are unable to control the situation, and they have no other choice but to kill the man. It is at this point that you realize they have sealed their fate and that things will never be the same again.

When discussing Don’t Deliver Us from Evil, it's hard to overlook its two leads, Jeanne Goupil (Cookies) in the role of Anne and Catherine Wagener (I Am Frigid... Why?) in the role of Lore, who both deliver mesmerizing performances. Their performances are natural and unforced as they convincingly submerge themselves into the characters they are portraying.

Part of the plot revolves around the girls’ fascination with Satanism and there is even a scene in which they are married in the eyes of their lord. The film chamber music like score sounds like satanic hymns composed for Satan. The film never really establishes why the girls made the choices they did and outside of this oversight the rest of the plot is laid out in a convincing way. There is some mild violence and nudity that is integral too the story and it is not done in an exploitive way. Overall Don’t Deliver Us from Evil is a seductive tale about two girls who find pleasure in the pain and suffering they have inflicted on those who have crossed their paths.

From its opening moments, Don’t Deliver Us from Evil does a fantastic job pulling you into its story. And though the narrative never really establishes why the girls made the choices they did, this never lessens the potency of the events that unfold and the superb finale that provides a very satisfying coda. Also, there is some mild violence and nudity, both of which are integral to the narrative and never done in an exploitative way. Ultimately, Don’t Deliver Us from Evil is a disturbing tale about two young girls who find pleasure in the pain and suffering they have inflicted on those who have crossed their paths.

Don’t Deliver Us from Evil gets a definitive release from Mondo Macabro, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer