*** SPOILERS ***
I started this one with relatively high expectations as the hubby said he had watched it and enjoyed it. I'm sort of torn with how to review it. I'll come out right away - I hated it. Does that mean everyone will hate it? I guess not.
So to the premise. We are in 17th century France, all the fortifications are being torn down by King Louis XIII under the advice of Cardinal Richelieu, to prevent the Protestants uprising. That is as much history as you're going to get. One towns walls however remain intact - Loudon, which is now governed by a revered priest Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) following the death of the town Governer. Loudon seems to be full of corrupt members of the church (no surprise there) and sexually frustrated nuns who are members of an enclosed convent.
During the course of the movie the lecherous Grandier manages to impregnate the daughter of the other towns priest when he supposed to be teaching her Latin. When she reveals her pregnancy to him, he tells her to go away and not bother him any more. He then goes on to marry the daughter of a newly deceased woman who has succumbed to plague. Speaking of plague, there also seems to be an element of necrophilia amongst the 2 men attempting to treat the ill in many odd and ridiculous ways. I wasn't sure if they were doctors?
If there isn't enough absurdity already, the superior nun in the convent, sister Jeanne, who is obsessed with Grandier, attacks the woman who he has married and falsely accuses him of abusing her and filling her mind with thoughts of lust.
At the 'trial' of Grandier and attempted excorcism of the lust from within Sister Jeanne, we are treated to the 2 perverts we spoke of earlier, treating her exorcism with an enema, very obviously against her will. It came across as something which was supposed to be sexual, which made me quite uncomfortable to be honest. Wondering what on earth they were trying to do.
If that wasn't enough, all of the nuns from the convent decide to disrobe, shave their heads and writhe about masturbating and just being naked. They tear down a crucifix and attempt to have sex with it. One furiously attempts to pull off a candle (that's going to take a while). We really may as well have watched nun porn. A movie which could have been ok, turned into something absolutely ridiculous. A nun orgy? Seriously?
Oliver Reed in this is actually excellent (and oddly attractive). As we near the end of the movie, we actually see what it could have been. Grandier is found guilty at his 'trial' taking the world of Sister Jeanne. He refuses to lie to save his life and loses it horribly.
I know I've filled this movie with spoilers, but I honestly don't know how to review it in more than a couple of sentences without going into detail. It was absurd and seedy and it pained me as it actually could have been much better. Maybe some were aroused by some of the scenes, but they were so ridiculous, they made me laugh, which I don't think would have been the desired effect.
In short, I can't recommend this (although it could have been great), but I won't advise you avoid it, as maybe guys out there would enjoy it.
I started this one with relatively high expectations as the hubby said he had watched it and enjoyed it. I'm sort of torn with how to review it. I'll come out right away - I hated it. Does that mean everyone will hate it? I guess not.
So to the premise. We are in 17th century France, all the fortifications are being torn down by King Louis XIII under the advice of Cardinal Richelieu, to prevent the Protestants uprising. That is as much history as you're going to get. One towns walls however remain intact - Loudon, which is now governed by a revered priest Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) following the death of the town Governer. Loudon seems to be full of corrupt members of the church (no surprise there) and sexually frustrated nuns who are members of an enclosed convent.
During the course of the movie the lecherous Grandier manages to impregnate the daughter of the other towns priest when he supposed to be teaching her Latin. When she reveals her pregnancy to him, he tells her to go away and not bother him any more. He then goes on to marry the daughter of a newly deceased woman who has succumbed to plague. Speaking of plague, there also seems to be an element of necrophilia amongst the 2 men attempting to treat the ill in many odd and ridiculous ways. I wasn't sure if they were doctors?
If there isn't enough absurdity already, the superior nun in the convent, sister Jeanne, who is obsessed with Grandier, attacks the woman who he has married and falsely accuses him of abusing her and filling her mind with thoughts of lust.
At the 'trial' of Grandier and attempted excorcism of the lust from within Sister Jeanne, we are treated to the 2 perverts we spoke of earlier, treating her exorcism with an enema, very obviously against her will. It came across as something which was supposed to be sexual, which made me quite uncomfortable to be honest. Wondering what on earth they were trying to do.
If that wasn't enough, all of the nuns from the convent decide to disrobe, shave their heads and writhe about masturbating and just being naked. They tear down a crucifix and attempt to have sex with it. One furiously attempts to pull off a candle (that's going to take a while). We really may as well have watched nun porn. A movie which could have been ok, turned into something absolutely ridiculous. A nun orgy? Seriously?
Oliver Reed in this is actually excellent (and oddly attractive). As we near the end of the movie, we actually see what it could have been. Grandier is found guilty at his 'trial' taking the world of Sister Jeanne. He refuses to lie to save his life and loses it horribly.
I know I've filled this movie with spoilers, but I honestly don't know how to review it in more than a couple of sentences without going into detail. It was absurd and seedy and it pained me as it actually could have been much better. Maybe some were aroused by some of the scenes, but they were so ridiculous, they made me laugh, which I don't think would have been the desired effect.
In short, I can't recommend this (although it could have been great), but I won't advise you avoid it, as maybe guys out there would enjoy it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Speak your mind: