Le monache di Sant'Arcangelo (1973)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Domenico Paolella

Writers:

Tonino Cervi (writer)
Domenico Paolella (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 1973 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Lesbian Nun | Catholic | Convent | Catholic Church

Cast

Anne Heywood	...	Mother Giulia
Luc Merenda	...	Carafo
Ornella Muti	...	Isabella
Martine Brochard	...	Chiara
Muriel Catalá	...	Agnes
Claudia Gravy	...	Carmela
Maria Cumani Quasimodo	...	Lavinia
Pier Paolo Capponi	...	Don Carlos
Claudio Gora	...	Cardinal d'Arezzo
Duilio Del Prete	...	Pietro
Luigi Antonio Guerra		(as Luigi Guerra)
Gianluigi Chirizzi	...	Fernando

Also Known As:

Innocents from Hell
Les religieuses du Saint Archange (France)
Sisters of Satan
The Nun and the Devil
The Nuns of Saint Archangel

Runtime:

Germany:95 min (cut version)

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:18 | West Germany:18

Company:

Imp.Ex.Ci.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Storia di una monaca di clausura (1973)

You are judging me for corruption and cruelty. Am I more corrupt than you?

There are some really scandalous nunsploitation films available for those who want to indulge their fantasies or prurient interests. This is not one of them. Before you go running away, however, you should know that this film is well worth watching for the quality of the film.

It is all about the machinations that go on in and out of a convent after the Mother Superior dies. Three nuns: Mother Giulia (Anne Heywood), Mother Chiara (Martine Brochard), and Mother Livinia (Maria Cumani Quasimodo) are vying for the position of Mother Superior.

The latter two have very wealthy and influential connections on the outside. Sister Giulia uses poison to get rid of one rival, and is going to expose the other's immorality with a man. This is easy for her as her rival is bisexual and her lesbian lover. No, we don't get to see Heywood in the buff, but we do see Brochard.

Another player in this game is a young, virginal novitiate, that also happens to be the niece of Mother Giula. Isabella (Ornella Muti) was put in the convent to get her away from her boyfriend. Mother Giula is using her to get a nobleman on her side. What she doesn't know is that Isabella and her boyfriend have been secretly meeting at the convent, and now they will have a chance to be together.

The sets are exquisite and the story is compelling. There is some nudity, but it is just the right amount for the story, not exploitative.

There is a torture scene, including water-boarding at an inquisition to discover the truth behind the campaign. Cardinal d'Arezzo (Claudio Gora) screams for more torture. He is a symbol of the evil and corruption in the church at the time.

Justice is meted out for some sinners, but certainly not for all.