Le scomunicate di San Valentino (1974)

Lucita has been locked away in a convent by her family in order to keep her away from her lover, Esteban. The pair make plans to elope, but Esteban is accused of heresy before Lucita can ... See full summary »

Director:

Sergio Grieco

Writers:

Sergio Grieco (screenplay), Sergio Grieco (story),

Stars:

Françoise Prévost, Jenny Tamburi, Paolo Malco

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Françoise Prévost	...	The Abbess
Jenny Tamburi	...	Lucita
Paolo Malco	...	Esteban
Franco Ressel	...	Don Alonso - Lucita's father
Corrado Gaipa	...	Father Onorio
Gino Rocchetti
Pier Giovanni Anchisi	...	Isidro (as Piero Anchisi)
Calisto Calisti
Aldina Martano	...	Sister Rosario (as Alda Martano)
Bruna Beani	...	Josefa
Barbara Herrera
María Luisa Sala
Adriana Facchetti
Dada Gallotti
Cinzia Greco

Storyline

Lucita has been locked away in a convent by her family in order to keep her away from her lover, Esteban. The pair make plans to elope, but Esteban is accused of heresy before Lucita can escape. Hiding in the convent, Esteban discovers the horrifying depravity of the covent's abbess, Sister Incarnation. Can Esteban rescue his love from this madhouse before the inquisitor discovers what is going on and has everyone executed?

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Plot Keywords:

convent | lover | abbess | nudity | mother superior | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

26 March 1974 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Claudia Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Telecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine (2010)

User Reviews

Something different in action movies

It's another Romeo and Juliet story where two families at loggerheads forbid the lovers to meet, claiming Esteban is a heretic and murderer and an unworthy suitor for beautiful Lucita.

Set upon by soldiers of the Inquisition Esteban scarcely survives as he staggers into a nearby convent where Lucita and the verger dress his wounds and care for him in a secret room.

Esteban and Lucita plan to elope from the convent but their escape is thwarted. Lucita is accused of murdering one of the nuns and her love for Esteban has brought shame and disgrace to the sanctity of the Order. She is to be burned at the stake in the main square of Seville.

One considers that this is drama enough, but the action has scarcely begun.

Because of the terrible sins committed within the old stone walls, the Inquisition demands that all entrances and openings to the convent shall be walled up. When Esteban hears of this he flies into action as any real hero would.

The imprisoned nuns ( I am not sure why) begin to tear off their clothes as they crave for food and water in utter despair. Bare-breasted they roll about on the floor, screaming for water, licking the walls where a few droplets may have appeared. We could be watching Greek drama, but more likely the naked bodies are purposely introduced to add an interesting interlude for male viewers who find watching life as it unfolds in a convent normally rather unexciting.

This is not a great film by any means, but admittedly the setting is different and there is plenty of action..... sword-fights, scaling castle walls, torture chambers, secret passage ways etc. We have the power of the Church versus the innocence of the lovers....an interesting situation which could go either way.

It is worth watching right to the end to find out if this romantic couple suffers the same fate as Romeo and Juliet. We hope not of course, but when the Inquisition interprets the laws of the Church the fate of lovers is never certain.