THE MONK is an Italian adaptation of the famous gothic horror novel by Matthew Lewis of the same title. It's a controversial book that's gone down in infamous history, but the resultant film is merely dark and dour and in no particular way shocking. The screenplay was by Luis Bunuel, who must have been having an off day, and the main actor is Franco Nero, giving one of his most subdued and least interesting performances. He plays the titular character who succumbs to temptation when visited by the devil in disguise, but this loose adaptation is dank and decrepit, dull and drawn-out. Nicol Williamson's larger than life cameo as a crazy aristocrat is the highlight here.
Review of Le moine
