Reflections On The 'Director's Cut' of 'The Devils'

I would have been about 10 yrs old
when director Ken Russell unleashed
'The Devils' on the world, when the cinema
local to where I lived was closing down.
And for other reasons apart from that,
I was unlikely to see such a Succès de scandale.
Other cinemas would defend the notriety
of the film better whilst raking in the takings. 

In the 1990s I was introduced to the film
by a means I least expected: I was gay
and my closet door was half open
to whatever mix of shame and acceptance
could disguise itself for what it was. 

Through chances lost to shame and time
I met a Fransiscan friar who was also closeted
whilst 'living in the community' as part of his order.
He invited me to his flat, perhaps reasoning
that I might be more confident and understanding
about the life of faith sin and secrecy then he was.

His favourite film was 'The Devils'
which he quietly said he liked for the violence in it,
where I had no better reasoning for explaining
the sexual appeal of violence than he had. 
I had been divided by my watching the wrestling
on television by order of dad since I was a child.

It took him an age to explain how the film
'was more violent. before the censors intervened'.
He cued up his VHS video to the right points
to make viewing it a shared experience,
I was more bored than repelled at the images
that flickered across the screen, I did not react.
I thought the dressing up was impesssive.

I understood what his point which I'd never seen
expressed in such 'art house film' terms. 

You can guess what he wanted help with next.
I did not freak out, he was an ordinary old man
with a past that would have taken more time
to unpack than either of us had time for.
At some point I left him to watch more
of the on-screen violence on his own. 

If he were alive today would he join the public
to see the new unexpurgated version film?
Or could he only renact his old fears

of violence by watching the film in private?