Line #23 Film/TheDevilRidesOut


1	[[quoteright:337:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devil_rides_out_9271.jpg]]
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3	->'''Richleau:''' Do you believe in evil?\
4	'''Rex:''' As an idea.\
5	'''Richleau:''' Do you believe in the power of darkness?\
6	'''Rex:''' That's a superstition!\
7	'''Richleau:''' Now, there you are wrong. The power of darkness is more than just a superstition. It is a living force, which can be tapped at any given moment of the night.
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9	The 1968 Film/HammerHorror adaptation of the Creator/DennisWheatley [[Literature/TheDevilRidesOut classic]], directed by Terence Fisher and starring Creator/ChristopherLee. This time he's PlayingAgainstType as a hero: namely, the Duke of Richleau (or "Duc le Richleau", as the movie calls him). The plot, same as in the novel, centers around Richleau attempting to save a friend from the clutches of an evil Satanist cult, headed by the foreboding Mr. Mocata (Creator/CharlesGray). But can Richleau ward off the forces of darkness before it's too late?
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11	Known for being one of the last great Hammer classics -- not to mention one of the few times Christopher Lee got to play a good guy for a change -- the movie received critical acclaim and was a big hit.
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14	!!This film features examples of:
15	* AboveGoodAndEvil: Mocata has a MotiveRant to this effect.
16	* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Gray's Mocata is a lot more handsome than the book's version.
17	* AdaptationalUgliness: Downplayed with Marie, going from young and glamorous to pleasantly middle-aged.
18	* AgeLift: Peggy, compared to the novel where she is a toddler.
19	* BackupFromOtherWorld: [[spoiler: Tanith's ghost helps the climax]].
20	* BalancingDeathsBooks: [[spoiler: Tanith dies because the Angel of Death takes her]] but thanks to the EquivalentExchange below [[spoiler: Mocata is taken the next time the Angel is summoned, allowing Tanith to be saved]].
21	* BigBad: Mr. Mocata, the resident EvilSorcerer.
22	* BigGood: Richleau, the resident HunterOfMonsters.
23	* BigDamnHeroes: Richleau has a knack for doing this. [[spoiler: The angel in the end]].
24	* BlackMagic
25	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Peggy (blonde), Tanith (brunette), Marie (redhead).
26	* BridalCarry: Rex to Tanith [[spoiler: after her death]].
27	* ChekhovsGun: The winged serpent statue at Mocata's house.
28	* {{Cult}}: The main antagonists are a Satanic cult.
29	* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler: The Cultists don't last even a full minute after DivineIntervention sets in]].
30	* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Richleau refuses to do a certain spell, which is extremely powerful, but could kill them all. [[spoiler: He uses by the end and it saves the day]].
31	* TheDarkArts: Dicussed by Mocata, but ultimately it's quite clear that it's ''a bad thing''.
32	* DarkIsEvil: Night and darkness empower the Satanic forces, according to Richleau.
33	* DeusExMachina: [[spoiler: Literally. An angel (or possibly God himself) descends to finish off the occultists just in the nick of time]].
34	* DivineIntervention: [[spoiler: See DeusExMachina above]].
35	* TheDreaded: Everyone who knows the cult is terrified of Mocata.
36	* EquivalentExchange: When the Angel of Death is summoned, he cannot go back empty-handed. [[spoiler: This ends up being the cause of Mocata's destruction]].
37	* EvilCounterpart / {{Foil}}: Mocata and Richleau are both wise, soft-spoken and cultured masters of occultism, the difference is one is a megalomaniacal servant of Satan and the other is a force of good.
38	* EvilSorcerer: Mocata again.
39	* FauxAffablyEvil: Mocata is quite a gentleman whenever we see him, but it doesn't take long for him to shift into murderous rage.
40	* GentlemanWizard: Both Mocata and Richleau fit the trope, being aristocratic and cultured masters of the occult.
41	* GhostlyChill: The room grows cold every time dark powers are at work.
42	* GiantSpider: One of the demons that menaces the group takes the form of a giant dog-sized spider. It's driven off by the use of holy water.
43	* GrandTheftMe: Mocata's favorite ability.
44	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: By the end Mocata is slain by the Angel of Death he himself summoned]].
45	* HolyBurnsEvil: Richleau repells the forces of evil several times by wielding a crucifix.
46	* HollywoodSatanism: One of the most blatant examples of Hollywood.
47	* IHaveYourWife: Both the Eatons and the Duc de Richleau undergo this. Richleau attempts to save Simon, whom he considers a surrogate son, from Mocata and his coven. The Eatons have their daughter Peggy kidnapped by Mocata, who intends to sacrifice her to the Devil.
48	* IcyBlueEyes: A great deal of attention is put on Mocata's blue eyes, which he uses to subdue his victims.
49	* IntimateOpenShirt: Rex loses his jacket and tie, and his shirt opens by a couple of buttons around the same time the romantic tension with Tanith increases.
50	* LightIsGood: Richleau often uses light sources to repell demons.
51	* TheLoad: Simon is ''absolutely useless'' and all his actions end up making Richleau's job harder.
52	** Rex doesn't do much better. See Too Dumb To Live.
53	* MagicalEye: Magic in general in this movie often works via eye-contact. Richleau has to frequently shout for people not to make eye-contact with the villains.
54	* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Mocata is impeccably dressed.
55	* MarketBasedTitle: It was originally released as ''The Devil's Bride'' in North America.
56	* MaybeEverAfter: [[spoiler: Rex and Tanith]]. There is an obvious attraction there, but a possible romance is never explored beyond a little flirting and choice words.
57	* MeaningfulName: Played with. Richleau at first remarks Tanith is the name of a pagan goddess, which is probably her "cult MeaningfulRename". Tanith is indeed a member of the cult, but we later discover she's a reluctant one, that Tanith is just her birth name and that indeed, she wants out.
58	* MomentKiller: Peggy thankfully kills the moment where Mocata is trying to hypnotise her mother, Tanith and Simon.
59	* MoreThanMindControl: Mocata's mind-breaking powers work like this.
60	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: ''Mocata'' sounds quite foreboding once said out loud.
61	* NonIndicativeTitle: "The Devil's Bride". Not once is anyone said to be the Devil's bride.
62	* OccultDetective: Richleau is one of the early cinematographic examples.
63	* OminousFog: One of Mocata's many powers is to create this.
64	* PoweredByAForsakenChild: Apparently, Mocata's satanic powers greatly benefit from child sacrifice.
65	* PragmaticAdaptation: While the film is largely faithful to the novel, a number of changes were nevertheless made. Possibly the greatest one involves changing the relationships between the characters: whereas in the novel Marie (who is a Russian, unlike her film counterpart) and Richard were close friends of Richleau and Rex, in the film Marie is Richleau's niece (and hence Peggy is Richleau's great-niece). It arguably works in giving Richleau an additional personal stake in the matter, as now it is not only an innocent family that is being threatened by Mocata's coven, but his own relatives as well. In addition, Peggy undergoes an [[AgeLift age lift]], going from a toddler in the novel to a ten-year-old girl in the film. The film also cuts away most of the dialogue relating to the occult.
66	* PsychicPowers: Mocata has extensive ones. Richleau also displays some lower-key abilities of hypnosis.
67	* ReligionOfEvil: Mocata's cult.
68	* ResignationsNotAccepted: Simon and Tanith find out the hard way you can't leave Mocata's cult.
69	* TheRoaringTwenties: The film takes place in 1929, further in the past than the original novel, which was set in the 1930s.
70	* {{Satan}}: Makes a brief appearance in his "horned-goat with human body" form.
71	* ScaryBlackMan: The first Devilish creature to confront them takes the form of a ([[NightmareFuel rather terrifying]]) black man, and one of the members of the cult is a frightening-looking black male.
72	* SoftSpokenSadist: Mocata speaks very softly despite his atrocities.
73	* SupernaturalAid: [[spoiler: It's implied an angel takes hold of Marie in the climax to defeat the Cultists.]]
74	* TemptingFate: Richleau remarks several times that "It's over", only for Mocata to prove him wrong seconds later.
75	* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: The three friends, leaving Richard out. Simon is the Hunter - having been convinced into joining the cult to find a purpose in life. Rex is the Lord - who struggles to comprehend the possibility of Satanism. Richleau is the Prophet - who has the wisdom and knowledge necessary to save everyone.
76	* TooDumbToLive: Yes, Rex. Leave the woman you've effectively kidnapped alone and unrestrained in the car with the motor running. What could possibly go wrong?
77	* TheWatson: Rex is completely in the dark regarding occultism, so Richleau dumps information about it on him.
78	* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler: Mocata's plan relies on sacrificing a young child]].
79	* XanatosSpeedChess: It can be said the entire movie is essentially a mental battle between Richleau and Mocata for the soul of two individuals.

Context Film / TheDevilRidesOut