THE NUN AND THE DEVIL (1973)
aka LE MONACHE DI SANT'ARCANGELO
Label: Twilight Time
Region Code: A
Duration: 103 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Video: 1080p High Definition (1.85:1)
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono, Italian LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Domenico Paolella
Cast: Martine Brochard, Duilio Del Prete, Ornella Muti, Anne Heywood, Luc Merenda, Muriel Catala, Claudia Gravi
In the slow-burn naughty nuns tale The Nun and the Devil (1973) (aka Le Monache di Sant’Arcangelo) from director Domenico Paolella (The Story of a Cloistered Nun) we get a three-headed 16th century power play for control that transpires within the walls of a Neopolitan nunnery wherein three sisters scheme to replace the newly deceased Mother Superior. We have Sister Giulia (Anne Heywood, The Fox), Sister Carmela (Claudia Gravy, Marquis de Sade's Justine), and the next in line to be Mother Superior, the Sister Lavinia (Maria Cumani Quasimodo, Nosferatu in Venice). While Lavinia might be the presumed successor the corrupt Cardinal d'Arezzo (Claudio Gora, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids) and Vicar Carafa (Luc Merenda, Hotel Fear) conspire to name a successor who would benefit the church coffers and offer powerful aristocratic connections that would further benefit those in power. Corruption and sin is also quite present within the nunnery itself, with Giulia and Sister Chiara (Murder Obsession) having a naughty lesbian affair, while horny Sister Carmilla persues carnal pleasure with her secret lover Pietro (Duilio Del Prete, Massacre In Rome), who sneaks into the convent through her bedroom window at night.
Sister Giulia is dead set on being the successor Mother Superior and sets about securing the position by any means necessary, sewing the seeds of Levinia's destruction by poisoning the elder sister with regular doses of "medicine" and locking her away in isolation under the guise of containing her illness, and then exposing Carmilla's sinful nighttime activities for all to see. Also figuring into the nunnery intrigue is the arrival of Sister Julia's niece Isabella (Ornella Muti, Flash Gordon), a well-bred young woman who has been sequestered at the nunnery by her aristocratic father to prevent her from pursuing a relationship with a young man. While Isabella is used by Guilia in her quest for control the young lady proves to be quite resourceful herself and not adverse to spilling the beans about the corruption at the convent when it benefits her. We also have the pretty young postulant Agnes (Muriel Catalá, House of the Damned) whom Guilia is quite fond of, seemingly grooming her for future lesbian lover status, which does not go unnoticed by her current lover Chiara. While Sister Giulia does initially succeed in attaining the position of power reports of corruption within the convent walls reach the ear of Cardinal d'Arezzo and jr. inquisitor Vicar Carafa; who later arrive at the nunnery to investigate the rumors, utilizing the usual assortments of inquisitoty brutality and torture techniques to get to the bottom of it all - with an outcome that benefits the Church patriarchy naturally and spells doom for others.
Often sited alongside Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) as a nunsploitation shocker of high caliber this is a film could potentially disappoint those looking for sleazy naughty nun thrills as it's pretty chaste in that regard. Sure, we get the prerequisite lesbian sex, and soul-damning nocturnal activities throughout, but it's not done in a truly exploitative way. This is more a historical period melodrama based on reported historical fact and laced with some semi-salacious knee-licking sex and torture thrown in, though as previously stated, the sex is not exceedingly lurid and the torture, while having impact, is not overly exploitative.
While it leans towards the more restrained side of things but the look and style of the film is a cut above the usual sleazy nunsploitation-shocker fare, it having been beautifully lensed by cinematographer Giuseppe Ruzzolini (Pasolini's Oedipus Rex) who captures the dark Gothic beauty of the 16th century nunnery and the fetishized nun habit, plus it has a solid score by Piero Piccioni (Camile 2000). It might not deliver the extreme sleaze and brutality of it's sister films in the sub-genre but it's still quite a perverse melodrama set in a convent, the performances are all strong and it's a absolutely gorgeous looking film.
Audio/Video: The Nun and the Devil (1973) arrives on Blu-ray from Twilight Time in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. I am unsure of the source as it is not stated in the press materials but I might assume judging by the inclusion of the licensed 88 Films extras that this is the same 2K master from the original 35mm camera negative employed by the UK distributor for their 2021 release which was part of their Italian Collection (#64) line-up. It's quite a handsome looking release with organic looking grain and plenty of fine detail in the close-ups with reds having a nice pop to them. Audio comes by way of uncompressed English LPCM 2.0 dual-mono or Italian LPCM 2.0 dual mono with optional English subtitles, both tracks are clean and free of issues.
All the extras are licensed from 88 Films and are pretty great, we start off with a terrific Audio Commentary with Critic Kim Newman and Italian Cinema Expert Barry Forshaw; then onto the 24-min Judging Luc: Interview with Actor Luc Merenda; the 17-min The Devil and Martine: Interview with Actress Martine Brochard; 35-min Paolella Connection: Profile of Director and Co-Writer Domenico Paolella, and the 7-min Horny Devils: Nunsploitation Explained: Interview with Film Historian Marcus Stiglegger. Disc extras are finished up with the 4-min widescreen Original Theatrical Trailer. The single disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with 2-sided non-reversible sleeve of artwork, inside there's a 12-page booklet with new writing on the film from Mike Finnegan that breaks down the nunsploitation cycle and lays out the story of the film.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Critic Kim Newman and Italian Cinema Expert Barry Forshaw
- Judging Luc: Interview with Actor Luc Merenda (24 min)
- The Devil and Martine: Interview with Actress Martine Brochard (17 min)
- Paolella Connection: Profile of Director and Co-Writer Domenico Paolella (35 min)
- Horny Devils: Nunsploitation Explained: Interview with Film Historian Marcus Stiglegger (7 min)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (4 min)
- 12 Page Illustrated Collector's Booklet with writing by Mike Finnegan
While The Nun and the Devil (1973) might lack the gratuitous extremes of other sleazier entries in this sinful sub-genre it's a beautifully made period melodrama that's well-acted and there's plenty of perversity in it's condemnation of the corrupt patriarchy of the Catholic church. The HD presentation is solid and the licensed extras are terrific, if your down for a slowburn descent into sin, corruption and sexy 16th century nuns this comes highly recommended, but don't expect it to be too sleazy, just a bit naughty.
