Act of the Heart (1970)

Director:

Paul Almond

Writer:

Paul Almond (writer)

Release Date:

25 November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

I am different.

Plot:

A woman's peculiar religious convictions lead her on a self-destructive path.

Plot Keywords:

Undressing | Self Destructiveness | Catholic | Female Nudity | Religion

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Geneviève Bujold	...	Martha Hayes
Donald Sutherland	...	Father Michael Ferrier
Monique Leyrac	...	Johane Foss
Sharon Acker	...	Adele
Eric House	...	Choirmaster
Ratch Wallace	...	Diedrich
Billy Mitchell	...	Russell Foss
Gilles Vigneault	...	Coach Ti-Jo
Jean Dalmain	...	Party
Claude Jutra	...	Party
François Tassé	...	Party
Jean Duceppe	...	Parks Commisioner

Also Known As:

Acte du coeur (Canada: French title)
The Act of the Heart (Canada: English title) (copyright title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:GP | Canada:14+ (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Quest

Soundtrack:

Martha's Songs

A young and beautiful Genevieve Bujold falls victim to her own religious convictions

This one is really hard to find, so if you've managed to get ahold of it kudos. Donald Sutherland and Genevieve Bujold are absolutely great in this as a young priest and commited choir girl. Paul Almond does a really nice job of easing into their growing and confusing relationship, which really picks up as the narrative unfolds in unlikely ways by the third act.

You really have to watch this whole movie before you form an opinion on it, and if you miss the last shocking 30 seconds then you'll probably have a low opinion of this movie. This one really need to be re-released on DVD (or at least video besides at the National Archives!) so it can get an audience.