The Nun and the Devil

Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971) is a bombastic attack on the senses.  It’s also a genuine cinematic masterpiece.  But its subject matter of sex, torture and corruption within the Catholic Church was too much for any studio to handle at the time, leaving the film essentially orphaned after an aborted UK and US release, so much so that’s it’s damn near impossible to see anywhere outside of a few screenings on Shudder from time to time.  But the seedier side of Russell’s film was a roadmap for exploitation filmmakers to follow, resulting in the creation of an entire subgenre – nunsploitation-  where sins of the flesh suggestively covered up in a black and white habit.

The Nun and the Devil (1973) is far more reserved than some other entries, reinforcing Russell’s theme of sexual repression with flashes of forbidden hetero and lesbian escapades while a power struggle tears the Saint Arcangelo Convent apart from within.  Sister Julia (Anne Heywood) seizes her opportunity to become Mother Superior by any means possible, including blackmail, shady business deals and even selling the sexual favors of her niece (Ornella Muti).  But her exploits fall under the suspicion of Vicar Carafa (Luc Merenda), whose rigid adherence to Church doctrine leave no doubt about the crimes committed …and the severe punishments deserved.

 

A typical genre-jumping director, Domenico Paolella seems particularly inspired here, bouncing between beautifully lit locations and studio sets.  The cast ups their game as well, with Heywood straddling the line between villain and victim.  Her clandestine political manipulations – and repressed sexual desires – titillate the audience as they compete for supremacy over her immortal soul.  The hypocrisy of a life pledged to God, but ruled by men, comes to a head in the finale which dips a toe into the torture-porn aesthetic so familiar to Euro-horror fans.

 

Essentially, The Nun and the Devil wants to have its cake and eat it too.  While we’re supposed to be horrified by the physical and emotional degradations on display, it’s what we paid to see in the first place.  The dichotomy is beautifully demonstrated in the film by Cardinal d’Arezzo (Claudio Gora) who exclaims with perverse enthusiasm while watching a naked woman flayed to the bone, “Make her confess…for God!”  Is The Nun and the Devil a comment on misogynistic abuse of power or simply a kinky fetish flick?  Quite frankly, it’s both.

 

Twilight Time’s Blu-ray looks very nice with a pleasant veneer of natural film grain throughout.  Extras include an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Italian cinema expert Barry Forshaw, interviews with Luc Merenda and Martine Brochard, an exploration of the nunsploitation genre and profile of director Domenico Paolella.  Fans of Italian cinema – an especially the cult of Ornella Muti – will be exceedingly pleased!

 

 

 

 

 

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