The Nun and the Devil

Original title: Le monache di Sant'Arcangelo

1973
R
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

609

YOUR RATING

Ornella Muti, Anne Heywood, and Luc Merenda in The Nun and the Devil (1973)

Period Drama Drama Horror

During the 1570s, in the convent of Sant'Arcangelo di Baiano, after the death of the mother superior, a power struggle rages on, as one nun, who comes from a powerful family, is willing to d... Read allDuring the 1570s, in the convent of Sant'Arcangelo di Baiano, after the death of the mother superior, a power struggle rages on, as one nun, who comes from a powerful family, is willing to do anything to become the new abbess.During the 1570s, in the convent of Sant'Arcangelo di Baiano, after the death of the mother superior, a power struggle rages on, as one nun, who comes from a powerful family, is willing to do anything to become the new abbess.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

609

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The opening credits state that the movie is 'Based on authentic 16th Century records and a story by STENDHAL'.

Quotes
Carafo: And the Lord pardon us for the pain we have inflicted in the church's name.

Alternate versions
Restored version: Argent Films DVD release as The Nun And The Devil is the longest available version at 99min 20 secs (in PAL): it is re-edited from Italian masters materials with an English soundtrack.

Connections
Featured in The Real Blue Nuns (2006)

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

6/10

THE NUN AND THE DEVIL (Domenico Paolella, 1973) **1/2

Yet another Stendhal-inspired "Nunsploitationer" in the vein of THE NUN OF MONZA (1969) and ABBESS OF CASTRO (1974) incidentally, MONZA's Anne Heywood dons the habit here as well, while Pier Paolo Capponi appears in all three (in this case, he is a lecherous nobleman). Actually, the film's German title translates to THE NUN OF VERONA: with this in mind, the absurd English moniker is utterly misleadingnot to mention liable to confuse it with Jerzy Kawalerowicz' much superior THE DEVIL AND THE NUN aka MOTHER JOAN OF THE ANGELS (1961)! It emerges somewhat more plot-packed than usual, with several nuns being involved in illicit/corrupt business behind convent walls: apart from Heywood (who is more of a conspirator this time around and caps her performance with an effective diatribe at the obligatory trial followed by an excruciating death scene), these include Martine Brochard, Claudia Gravy (from the weird Spaghetti Western MATALO! [1970]) and Ornella Muti (most appealing when sporting short-cropped hair and masculine attire, her role is secondary but she carries it with aplomb). The Inquisition, then, is represented by a fanatical Luc Merenda (miscast) and Cardinal Claudio Gora. The oppressive medieval atmosphere is nicely caught (though the print I got hold of, featuring a reasonable English-dubbed track, is a bit too dark furthermore, the split between its two parts irritatingly occurs in mid-sentence!) and, while the trademark nudity and violence are certainly there, these are not particularly explicit. In the long run, THE NUN AND THE DEVIL (which comedy/peplum exponent Paolella directed under the pseudonym Paolo Dominici!) is pretty solid as "Nunsploitation" films go.