The Nun (2013)

Directed by: Guillaume Nicloux
Country: France / others

Movie Review: Adapted and directed by Guillaume Nicloux, “The Nun” was based on the novel with the same title by the French writer and philosopher, Diderot. The novel had been subjected to a cinematic adaptation with much better results in 1966 by the hand of the master Jacques Rivette, in a film superbly performed by Anna Karina. This time the chosen actress was Pauline Ettiene, who did a competent job playing Suzanne Simonin, a sensible, perceptive and truthful young woman who, following the orders of her parents, is forced to stay in a convent and become nun against her will. In her path of sadness, she will be understood and cherished by the Mother Superior who welcomes her, Madame de Moni (Françoise Lebrun), but maltreated and humiliated by the cruel Mother Superior Christine (Louise Bourgoin), and become the object of the libidinous desires of Mother Superior Saint-Eutrope (Isabelle Huppert). With all this, she still finds out some shocking secrets related to her own family, without giving up to fight for her freedom. The film starts in a bold way, but ends up declining in the last half, and making us anticipate the final revelations. Beyond that I felt it was too long, an aspect that I didn’t feel at all in the other longer version. It was immaculately photographed by Yves Cape (“Holy Motors”, “White Material”), even if the nocturnal images, lighted with candlelight, seemed a bit too dark for my taste. Well executed and performed, “The Nun” can only be interesting for those who never watched Rivette’s version, but still evinces a prominent technical execution.