Roger Ebert Hated John Travolta’s ‘Devil’s Rain’

Roger Ebert was unquestionably the most celebrated voice in film criticism, even though some films that found their way onto his “most hated” list have achieved acclaim as cult classics. The Devil’s Rain, released in 1975 and featuring a cast that included Ernest Borgnine, William Shatner, and John Travolta in one of his earliest roles, was one of many that Ebert harbored disdain for. The Devil’s Rain boasts a remarkable cast in front of the camera and also had a notable figure operating behind it, as Anton LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan, served as a technical advisor.

The Devil’s Rain, while being bombastic and somewhat ham-fisted in its presentation, is almost prophetic regarding the events that would occur in the decade following its release. The era of Satanic panic and the ritual abuse conspiracy theories were a staple of talk shows and supermarket tabloids. All through Middle America, the paranoia of cults lurking in the shadows was a real thing. In The Devil’s Rain, the saga of an average family in Middle America being stalked by a cult devoted to Satan might have been seen as nothing more than entertainment, but sensationalized tales such as these would permeate throughout the 1980s and even extend to the beginning of the 1990s.

The Epic Battle Between Good and Evil

The dichotomy of good and evil is at the core of almost every narrative and, subsequently, every system of beliefs. In The Devil’s Rain, this struggle is personified in Jonathan Corbis (Ernest Borgnine) battling Mark Preston (William Shatner) in a test of faith. Corbis, who serves a role as Satan’s ambassador on earth, has been pursuing the Preston family since the days of colonial America.

Looking at The Devil’s Rain and judging it by the surface alone, we might take it as hokey, somewhat ludicrous, and a bit of a farce. Particularly its first act, which sees Mark Preston’s faith become shattered at the hands of Corbis and his black-robed disciples in an atmosphere that’s comparable to that of a carnival sideshow. Shatner, with his method of acting, and Borgnine portraying a benevolent force of evil, might come off as more farcical than fear-inducing.

However, the incorporation of the setting and establishment of evil existing since the colonial era allows for a bit of social satire. The location in which Corbis and Preston have their test of faith, as it were, is a ghost town. Anyone familiar with the typical Western genre of films will be all too familiar with this type of setting. The cowboy or rancher rides into town to do battle with the outlaw or rustler.

The establishment of the conflict that existed between the Preston family and Corbis dating back to the colonial era of America reflects the long-standing relationship with Puritan values. The setting in colonial America of its witch hunters and a book whose pages are retained by those who have signed their names in blood all harken back to the rich palate of folklore that ties in with stories of witchcraft and devil worship. By bringing these aspects into the present, The Devil’s Rain finds a way to retell these old myths and superstitions to a new audience.

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The Psychodrama of Ritual

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The inclusion of Anton LaVey, both as a technical advisor on The Devil’s Rain and as a member of the cast, allows the film to take advantage of one of the practices found in Modern Satanism, known as the psychodrama of ritual. Founded in 1966, LaVey’s Church of Satan had less to do with any sort of theistic or primitive devil worship and more to do with satisfying basic desires. In fact, many of the philosophical ideals found in LaVey’s Satanic Bible are more closely related to Nietzsche, such as embracing the Dionysian, the rejection of religion, and fulfillment of the ego. The idea of Psychodrama, one which is designed to inflame the senses through visual presentation and atmosphere, isn’t so different from the content that audiences are confronted with in The Devil’s Rain.

Ebert’s review was particularly critical of The Devil’s Rain relying on such a minuscule plot, stating, “All of this would be good silly fun if the movie weren’t so painfully dull. The problem is that the material is stretched too thin. There’s not enough here to fill a feature-length film.” Despite the plot of The Devil’s Rain being somewhat disjointed and rushed in some places and brought to a grinding halt in others, it’s emblematic of a film placing “style over substance.” And yet, this very emphasis on style is akin to the psychodrama of ritual to engulf the senses.

The bright colors and organ music that accompany the rituals performed by Corbis and his followers in the film, the jaw-dropping finale that’s made even more impressive by the use of practical effects, and the overarching atmosphere all work together to deliver an entertaining film that’s always enjoyable to sit through. The Devil’s Rain might not be a perfect film by any means, but its stylistic efforts at depicting devil worship and grandiose forces of evil make it entertaining and solidify our fascination with the cloven-hoofed anti-hero who, in the words of LaVey himself, has “kept the church in business all these years.”

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Not Too Serious and Still Enjoyable

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What can we ultimately take away from The Devil’s Rain? It appeared the same year that Jaws made audiences afraid to go in the water, and Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom, showed us the hypocrisy of power and the subjugation of the masses. It had also been a few years since William Friedkin brought us a truly terrifying battle between good and evil in The Exorcist, which set a high standard to live up to.

While Ebert might have held disdain for the film, there’s something utterly enjoyable in how The Devil’s Rain doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows us to revel in the ham-fisted performances and effects that might seem laughable by today’s standards. If nothing else, with the nostalgia that surrounds the era of Satanic panic in popular culture, we can look back at The Devil’s Rain and have a hearty laugh to ourselves at the prospect of these fears and moral hysteria ever coming to life. Stream on Tubi or Shudder.

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