''Inquisition'' () is a 1976 Spanish-Italian

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

written and directed by (and starring)

Paul Naschy Jacinto Molina Álvarez (September 6, 1934 – November 30, 2009) known by his stage name Paul Naschy, was a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures&md ...

. It also features

Daniela Giordano Daniela Giordano (7 November 1947– 16 December 2022) was an Italian actress, who is foremost known for her appearances in the Italian Exploitation film, exploitation cinema in the late 1960s and in the 1970s. She is not to be confused with the ...

Julia Saly Julia Saly (born Julia Salinero) is a Spanish retired film actress and producer. She worked on many films over the years with acclaimed Spanish horror filmmaker Paul Naschy and was one of his favorite actresses. Her career ended in 1985, when Nas ...

and

Mónica Randall Aurora Juliá Sarasa (Barcelona, 18 November 1942), known professionally as Mónica Randall, is a Spanish actress and television presenter. Randall has made some 110 appearances in film and television since 1963. She appeared in numerous Spag ...

. The film was shot in May and June 1976, and first shown in Spain in 1978. The special effects were handled by Fernando Florido, who outdid himself with his elaborate design for the demon Belphegor, seen during the film's bizarre dream sequence. Daniela Giordano loved the film and thought it was one of the best projects she ever worked on. An Argentinian one-sheet exists with the name of the film as ''Bajo el terror de la Inquisicion'' / ''Under the Terror of the Inquisition'', but there is no evidence that the film was ever shown there theatrically. Although the film was completed in 1976, it wasn't shown in Spain until 1978. The film was dubbed in English in 1976 (the intended "international version"), but it was never shown theatrically outside of Spain. The English-dubbed print was eventually sold directly to Home Video in the 1980s. The film has since been released in English on Blu-ray by Mondo Macabro.Howarth, Troy (2018). Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy. WK Books. p. 319. ISBN 978-1718835894.

Plot

In medieval France, the plague is spreading across the countryside, and the ignorant peasants believe it to be the work of witches. Bernard de Fossey, the local "witchfinder", travels from town to town on a holy mission, aided by his two lecherous assistants Nicolas Rodier and Pierre Burgot, rooting out witches and executing them. Most of the women deny they are witches, but Fossey and his men torture them sadistically until they confess, at which point they are executed. Catherine, a beautiful young girl in the village, is in love with Jean Duprat, who wants to marry her. Fossey develops a crush on Catherine unfortunately, and hires some highwaymen to rob and kill Jean in the forest. That night, Catherine has a dream in which she sees the killers being paid with coins to murder Jean, but she can't see the face of the ringleader. Catherine makes a pact with Satan, agreeing to sell her soul to him if he will help her to avenge the death of her fiancé. She drifts into some bizarre dream sequences wherein she meets Satan (played by Paul Naschy in a leotard) and the red-eyed demon Belphegor, who eventually tell her that it was Fossey who paid for the killing of Jean Duprat. Catherine seduces Fossey and slyly involves him in some immoral activities that wind up getting Fossey himself accused of witchcraft and the witchfinders torture him, shave his head and sentence him to death, along with Catherine. Naschy wore a full skullcap for the finale of the film. Catherine sacrifices her own life to insure that Fossey also pays for his crimes, as both of them are burned together at the stake in a fiery scene reminiscent of Ken Russell's 1971 film The Devils.

Cast

—dual role as Bernard de Fossey / Satan *

as Catherine *

as Madeleine * Ricardo Merino as Nicolas Rodier *

Tony Isbert Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * M ...

as Pierre Burgot *

Juan Luis Galiardo Juan Luis Galiardo Comes (2 March 1940 – 22 June 2012) was a Spanish television, theater and film actor. Life The eldest of six children, Juan Luis Galiardo Comes was born in San Roque, Cádiz, but spent most of his childhood and youth in ...

as Jean Duprat *

as Elvire * Eva León as Pierril Fillé *

Eduardo Calvo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...

as Émile *

Antonio Iranzo Antonio Iranzo (4 May 1930 – 7 July 2003) was a Spanish film actor in 77 feature films. He gained popularity for his acting in '' Island of the Damned'' and '' Cut - Throats Nine''. Iranzo began his artistic career in the theater, while w ...

as Rénover *

Tota Alba Tota may refer to: People * Tota (bishop), the Bishop of Selsey (in what is now England) in 786 * Tota Roy Chowdhury, an Indian Bengali male actor * Tota Singh, Indian politician * Vincenzo Tota, Italian medical doctor specializing in sports me ...

as Mabille * María Salerno * Loreta Tovar * Isabel Luque * Belén Cristino *

Antonio Casas Antonio Casas Barros (11 November 1911 – 14 February 1982) was a Spanish footballer turned film actor who appeared in film between 1941 and his death in 1982. Casas originally began as a footballer for Atlético Madrid, but entered film i ...

* Jenny Llada as Denise, the brunette handmaiden

References

Bibliography

* Bentley, Bernard. ''A Companion to Spanish Cinema''. Boydell & Brewer 2008.

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0074687 1976 films Spanish historical horror films 1976 horror films 1970s historical horror films 1970s Spanish-language films Films about witch hunting Films directed by Paul Naschy Films set in the 16th century 1970s Spanish films 1970s Italian films Spanish religious horror films