Le monache di Sant'Arcangelo: The Nun & The Devil

Nuns of Sin.

The Nun and the Devil, or Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo in the original Italian, is an erotic 1973 French/Italian nunsploitation film directed by Domenico Paolella. It is also known as: Sisters of Satan (UK) and The Nuns of Saint Archangel (US). The action is set in the 16th century at the convent of Sant Arcangelo, near Naples, then under Spanish rule. The success of the film resulted in another period drama/nunsploitation film by Paolella released the same year, Story of a Cloistered Nun, an Italian/French/West German co-production starring Eleonora Giorgi which will not be reviewed today LOL

 

The coveted spot as Mother Superior is of great importance to three candidates who all yearn for such a position. Twenty minutes in Mother Julia (Played by Anne Heywood) must check between her niece's legs to see if she is a virgin. Sister Chiara (Martine Brochard), Mother Julia's secret lover, longs to have her vows revoked so she can leave the convent and not suffer emotional torment she currently endures.We see the cruelty of Catholic parents who force their daughters into the convent so that they will not run off with a boy they dislike. Mother Lavinia(Maria Cumani Cuasimodo), who many believes is first in line to the Mother Superior position has been gravely ill. Recently inducted into the convent against her will, Isabella(Ornella Muti) and the young man she loves, Fernando(Gianluigi Chirizzi), secretly court when time permits. There's a syrupy Romeo and Juliet romance between Isabella and Fernando. This is the time of arranged marriages and dowries so Isabella and Fernando's love is separated because of this.

Check that virgin twat!

Is your beaver wet enough?

In the NUNS OF SAINT ARCHANGEL, the theme very present is forbidden love. Trapped in the convent, it's not surprising that desire would arise and remain. Anyway, Julia so craves the Mother Superior position she'll poison bedridden Lavinia and send young virginal Isabella to a sleazy scoundrel named Don Carlos who arranged a passage through his connections to give her access to the top. Julia is such a deplorable creature she almost breaks out in glee as she informs Lavinia she plans to have her placed in an isolation cell(while informing her entourage where she plans to place her family's coat of arms on the wall of Lavinia's room!). And, to send your own niece to town, into Carlos' lair to be sodomized, shows the depths of her deprivation. When the Arch Bishop allows Carafo to visit the convent of Saint Archangel, Julia's whole world comes crashing down.

As nunsploitation goes, THE NUNS OF SAINT ARCHANGEL isn't as titillating as you might expect. It's more a serious look at immoral pursuits to secure the hierarchy of a church position. Carlos is a real creep who, we can imagine, is used to getting what he wants, considering his rank. Incorrigible, hypocritical activity by those who are supposed to be serving God is often exposed in the nunsploitation genre which is why it maintains such a cult following. Anne Heywood becomes so incredibly cold-blooded while obtaining her position, I reckon many will root for her downfall and as it comes, will cheer for her eventual disgracing. Though, to the director's and Heywood's credit, her fate actually somehow garners sympathy once she is given a platform to address those in charge, whose power can lend to cruel and unusual punishment to get the desired information to instill their brand of justice. I imagine some would be appalled with certain torturous methods in order to achieve confessions. 

Let's pray.

I'll rape this body in God's name.

It is almost a shame to call this one "nunsploitation", because that term may imply that it is not a film of high standard. Yes, there are some nunsploitation elements here; the seemingly evil Mother Julia, with her lesbian tendencies and her hunger for power within the confines of the nunnery, for example. However at the end of the film, when Mother Julia, played beautifully by veteran actress, Anne Heywood, is condemned to death, her human side comes out. She explains, very eloquently, her reasons for her actions. The rigid rules of convent existence in the 17th century must have been unbearable for these women. At least for the girls who were there against their will. And many of these girls were placed there by domineering families, to keep them away from lovers and other such "temptation", as in the case of young Isabella, played by Ornella Muti. Her character was neither in love with god, or with the idea of giving up her freedom to live under such constraints. 

Who needs dicks anyways.

This film deals with the subject beautifully. And although there is some nudity in the film, it is never gratuitous; There are no scenes where a nun removes her clothes unless it is absolutely relevant to the storyline. So one should be aware before watching such a film, that if they are looking for endless scenes of fetishistic "nun-sex", than this is probably the wrong film for them. The sets/cinematography are gorgeous, the nuns dress is totally authentic looking, and there is much attention given to these details. Certain scenes in particular stand out; for instance, the scenes in the flower garden, with the nuns in white walking with the blood colored roses, and the scene in the chapel, where the white sheet is lifted to reveal the new "brides of Christ", in all their "majestic virginity". That is real eroticism! And all this, accompanied by lush music and stylish film technique. It is obvious here, that the director, cared a great deal about his creation. It shows in this beautiful film. It bothers me somewhat to hear these films referred to as trash, and exploitation. In this film fans humble opinion, it is the Hollywood productions, the movies with the over paid stars, and the obscenely inflated budgets, that are the real "trash", and usually age very badly. 'Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo' however, remains a gorgeous and timeless piece of film-making. Surprisingly, i did not really like Dominici's other nun film, "Diary of A Cloistered Nun." But I recommend this one. 

Here's the entire film (it is public domain now, so it's legal to share it) courtesy of a youtuber: