DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL

(a.k.a. MAIS NE NOUS DELIVREZ PAS DU MAL)

Late at night while a group of girls sleep in the dormitory of St Mary's convent, Anne (Jeanne Goupil, FRESH BAIT) hides beneath her bed covers with a torch, making an entry into her diary. She writes about her love for sinning, and how she yearns to dedicate her life to Satan.

Her musing is interrupted by the arrival of her friend Lore (Catherine Wagener, I AM FRIGID ... WHY?). Lore produces a racy book that she stole from the school's attic. Giggling together, the girls take turns in reading it's subtle erotica aloud.

Together, the girls conspire to rob the attic of its dodgy books later, and then giggle about Anne's false confessions that have embarrassed the priest.

On the weekend, the girls go home to see their parents. Anne's folks own a huge chateau and are fortunate enough to be graced with their own groundkeeper and gardener. After snickering their way through a church sermon warning against the sins of the flesh, Lore visits Anne at her luxury home and is shown an old chapel on the grounds. This, Anne tells her, is where the girls will perform their "ceremony" in the summer holidays ...

When the holidays arrive, Anne's parents go abroad for two months, leaving her with the place to herself. Lore begins to visit Anne at her home on a daily basis and as their friendship grows closer, their acts of mischief grow less and less innocent.

Country bike rides turn into attempts at seducing simple farm hands; pet birds are mercilessly slain; farmer's stock is set ablaze ... and worse is still to come!

Written by director Joel Seria (COOKIES), DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL is a wonderful slice of slow-burning unease that is compelling to watch even when you get the sense that not much is essentially happening.

Its main assets are the stunning, honest performances from Goupil and Wagener, and the lush cinematography that captures the beauty of the French countryside at every opportunity.

While the scene where an incredibly young-looking Wagener gets raped, and the scene where Anne kills a canary (this isn't faked), are undeniably contentious, they are also powerful and relevant to the storyline. This is not cheap exploitation, this is intelligent storytelling, showing us the development of the girls' twisted psyche as they struggle with their own confused adolescence.

And, despite the two shocking scenes described above, DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL is relatively free from sex or violence. It's a more brooding piece, taking its time to get to its unforgettable, unexpected climax. It works all the better for this reason.

Mondo Macabro are well known for the quality of their releases, and this disc keeps the standards high.

First up, the uncut print of the film is great. Okay, there's occasional minor print damage evident, but this is largely a sharp, colourful and bright transfer that does the stunning visuals proud.

The 2.0 French audio is problem-free. I'd read reports of a hiss on the soundtrack, but didn't pick this up at all. Removable English subtitles are easy to read and free from typing errors.

The film is 102 minutes long and can be accessed via 16 chapters.

There's a host of interesting, relevant extras to be enjoyed here too.

Things kick off with the featurette HELLISH CREATURES, where writer Paul Buck discusses the film's origins (it's loosely based on the Parker-Hulme case that also provided the impetus for Peter Jackson's excellent HEAVENLY CREATURES).

Seria is interviewed next, offering us a glimpse into his own strict Catholic upbringing, and telling how he had to finance the film himself as no distributor would touch it due to it's themes.

An interview with Goupil follows, who is looking good for her age. She recalls her time as Anne, and speaks about her subsequent career.

The featurette is in English, whereas the two interviews are in French with removable English subtitles. It's worth noting that all contain spoilers - so watch the film first!

An essay on the film's censorship struggles by Pete Tombs makes for an interesting 6 page read.

A 22 page stills gallery is attractively presented.

Finally, there's a 5 minute promo reel for 20 or so other titles available from Mondo Macabro - including the likes of ASWANG, CLONUS and SATAN'S BLOOD.

An excellent film. It's perhaps a little too "European" in pace for some tastes, but powerful nonetheless. And it's on a great disc too. Recommended.

Review by Stu Willis