Rating: C
Dir: Domenico Paolella.
Star: Anne Heywood, Luc Merenda, Ornella Muti, Pier Paolo Capponi.
a.k.a. Le monache di Sant’Arcangelo.
I’m not sure I ever used the words “nunsploitation” and “classy” in the same sentence before, but both are appropriate here. That may not necessarily be a good thing, however. It might be better off wallowing around in the mud. When you compare this to its most obvious influence, The Devils, made two years previously, the difference in attitude between Paolella and Ken Russell is clear. The latter buys wholeheartedly and energetically into the immorality and sleaze. There’s still nudity, torture, fornication, and religious hypocrisy in this. So all the same (and necessary) ingredients are present here. It’s just that the director of this seems vaguely embarrassed by them. I imagine him going, “Well, if you must…”
This unfolds during the 1570’s, in the Sant’Arcangelo di Baiano convent near Naples, which was under Spanish rule at the time. The position of Mother Superior there came with certain political powers, so on the death of the incumbent, a struggle breaks out to decide her successor. Though not most senior, the front-runner is Sister Giulia (Heywood), who is in a relationship with one of the other nuns. Her main rival is Sister Carmella, who sneaks her male lover into the convent on a regular basis. As you can imagine, the usual vows of celibacy are not exactly strictly enforced. Various outside parties are also keen to have their preferred candidate installed, who can be bent to their will.
Things kick into high gear when someone in the convent sends anonymous letters to the religious authorities, denouncing Giulia. Alfonso Carafo (Merenda) is sent to “investigate” – quotes used advisedly, since it feels like the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Though to be fair, Carafo actually seems more genuinely religious than… Well, just about everyone else. However, once the torture implements are broken out, faith is set to one side, in favour of putting Giulia through torments not typically endured by former Miss Great Britains like Heywood (she won the pageant in 1950 – under her real name, the remarkably appropriate one of Violet Pretty). It ends with the authorities crushing the alternative lifestyles attempted by Giulia and her allies, despite a heartfelt final speech (top). “You’re judging me for corruption and cruelty. Am I more corrupted or cruel than you?”
Where it does bear comparison to The Devils is in a luscious visual style. This is where the class mentioned above truly shines through. It helps that the production was allowed to shoot in a real convent (Fossanova Abbey in Priverno), supposedly in part by not being entirely honest about the plot. Credit must also go to cinematographer Giuseppe Ruzzolini, whose other work included Pasolini’s Arabian Nights, and… um, the 1984 version of Firestarter. Here, he delivers a lush, beautifully-shot product, which might be too good for the content. Finally, the English dub was supposedly sampled heavily by My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, but I can’t say I recognized any specific lines? All suggestions welcome.