Deliver Us from Evil (1969 film)

Deliver Us from Evil (French: Délivrez-nous du mal) is a 1969 Canadian drama film, written, directed, and edited by Jean-Claude Lord.[1] One of the first Canadian films ever to address the subject of homosexuality,[2] the film was produced and shot in 1965 but remained unreleased until 1969 due to its sensitive subject matter.[1]

The film centres on the emotionally complex and abusive relationship between André (Yvon Deschamps), a gay man, and Georges (Guy Godin), a bisexual man who was also formerly romantically involved with André's sister Lucille (Catherine Bégin). When a vacation at a hotel ends with Georges having sex with a woman, André is driven to attempt both suicide and murder because of his inability to secure Georges' affections.[1]

The film was not well received by critics,[1] and has subsequently been heavily criticized as a "sordid" film that relies too heavily on outdated stereotypes of homosexual men.[3] The film's representation of gay identity was most prominently analyzed by Thomas Waugh in a 1981 article for the magazine Copie Zéro.[4]

Due to its controversial reception, following its premiere the film was not widely seen until a restored print was screened at Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival in 2016.[1]