The Nun (1966)

Suzanne is forced against her will to take vows as a nun and three mothers superior treat her in radically different ways. Suzanne's virtue brings disaster to everyone in this faithful adaptation of a bitter attack on religious abuses.

Director:

Jacques Rivette

Writers:

Denis Diderot (novel), Jean Gruault

Stars:

Anna Karina, Liselotte Pulver, Micheline Presle

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anna Karina	...	Suzanne
Liselotte Pulver	...	Mme de Chelles
Micheline Presle	...	Mme de Moni
Francine Bergé	...	Soeur Sainte-Christine
Francisco Rabal	...	Dom Morel
Christiane Lénier	...	Mme Simonin
Yori Bertin	...	Soeur Saint-Thérèse
Catherine Diamant	...	Soeur Saint-Ursule
Gilette Barbier	...	Soeur Saint-Jean
Annik Morice	...	Soeur Saint-Jéròme
Danielle Palmero	...	Soeur Saint-Clément
Françoise Godde	...	La domestique
Jean Martin	...	Monsieur Hébert
Marc Eyraud	...	Le père Seraphin
Charles Millot	...	Monsieur Simonin

Storyline

In eighteenth-century France a girl (Suzanne Simonin) is forced against her will to take vows as a nun. Three mothers superior (Madame de Moni, Sister Sainte-Christine, and Madame de Chelles) treat her in radically different ways, ranging from maternal concern, to sadistic persecution, to lesbian desire. Suzanne's virtue brings disaster to everyone in this faithful adaptation of a bitter attack on religious abuses by the Enlightenment philosopher Denis Diderot.

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Plot Keywords:

persecution | france | vow | girl | lesbian | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Goofs

Suzanne plays and sings the song "Plaisir D'Amour". The final title card identifies the time and place as 'Paris, 1760', but the song was not composed until 1785.

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Quotes

Suzanne: You like convent life; I hate it. God has given you favours; I have none. You would be lost in the world; your salvation is here. I will be lost here and I hope to be saved in the world.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinéma, de notre temps: Jacques Rivette - Le veilleur (1994)

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Soundtracks

Plaisir D'Amour
Music by Johann Martini (as Jean Paul Egide Schwarzendorf a.k.a. "Jean Martini")
Lyrics by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian

User Reviews

Jansenist

Although Jacques Rivette was labeled "new wave","la religieuse" is actually an austere work,a bit academic,very close to the pre-new wave generation,very close to Jean Delannoy.By far ,one of the two most palatable works by highbrow Rivette (the other one being the umpteenth version of Joan of Arc,thanks to Sandrine Bonnaire's portrayal).Needless to say ,all other Rivette works are "intellectual" works ,reserved for the happy(?) few ,and they will make yawn your head off.

"La religieuse" caused a big scandal when it was released in the mid-sixties.The Church insisted on calling the movie "Suzanne Simonin ,la religieuse de Diderot".

Released with a PG 18, the movie seems harmless today:yes there's a lesbian nun ,but the crowds have seen worse since.It's a jansenist work,with a very slow pace,faithful to Diderot's novel-which anyway depicted an improbable situation:they did not lock the girls in nunneries anymore ,it was a thing of the past in the XVIII th century-,except for the ending ,but Rivette's one makes sense all in all.

The cinematography is beautiful and anti-nouvelle vague,the actresses convincing:Micheline Presles,a saint of a nun,Anna Karina, her cruel mother's unfortunate victim,and Liselotte Pulver,a bon vivant character who's got a crush on Suzanne .

Details

Official Sites:

Independent Cinema Office (ICO) [United Kingdom] Les Acacias [France]

Country:

France

Language:

French Latin

Release Date:

8 July 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Nun

Filming Locations:

Chartreuse, 58 rue de la République, Villeneuve-les-Avignon, Gard, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,273, 6 January 2019

Gross USA:

$30,245

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,659

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rome Paris Films, Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1