The invention of nunsploitation films? Anne Heywood as "The Nun of Monza" between Antonio Sabato and Hardy Krüger
When this Italian film, also known as "La monaca di Monza" and "The Lady Of Monza", was released in West German cinemas on January 16, 1970, it quickly became an enormous success. More than 3 million cinema tickets were sold, placing it at number 5 in the annual charts. How could this success be explained? For some time now, the so-called exploitation films with their drastic depictions in which sexual or violent acts were "exploited" on film have been a success at the box office. Why shouldn't such a concept be applied to the hidden life behind monastery walls? After all, the allegedly sinful lives of religious sisters and brothers have been a popular theme in literature since Boccaccio's "Decameron". But it's not that simple with this film. Director Eriprando Visconti (a nephew of the important director Luchino Visconti) put a lot of effort into the quality and equipment of the film. The actors are also convincing. And the great music comes from Ennio Morricone.
What is it all about anyway? Virginia de Leyva (Anne Heywood), a daughter from a very wealthy family, acts as abbess of a monastery in Monza, northern Italy, due to her family's financial influence. Of course, the other nuns in the convent don't necessarily like that. A lot of things aren't going well in the monastery, which doesn't go unnoticed by Father Paolo (Hardy Krüger), the nuns' busy confessor. The situation comes to a head when a young hothead from the neighborhood named Ossio (Antonio Sabato) seeks and finds protection in the monastery from the consequences of an outrage he himself committed. The attractive and extremely sexually active young man arouses great interest among the sisters. An evil intrigue ensues, in the course of which the uninhibited Springinsfeld is enabled by jealous nuns to rape the unsuspecting abbess. Virginia's response to this outrageous act is not without far-reaching consequences for everyone involved.
This all sounds a lot like gossip, the exploitation of sex and violence. Some things are shown quite drastically, but it's always about the secular and church machinations in the background. There is a lot of talking in this film, so the violent actions are by no means the focus.
A big plus of this film are the excellent actors: the British Anne Heywood (seen alongside Pierre Brasseur and Daniel Gelin in the peplum film "Carthage in Flames" (1960)) is convincing as the ambivalently portrayed Virginia de Leyva, based on her life story (1575 -1650) the plot is designed. Her Virginia is torn between hot-blooded passion (in the form of Antonio Sabato) and cool bigotry (convincingly played by Hardy Krüger), but she ultimately finds the way to her own inner independence.
The attractive Antonio Sabato (after his nomination for the Golden Globe in 1967 as best young actor in the film "Grand Prix" he was a busy ItaloCinema star in the 1970s in spanking films such as "Zwei Schlitzohren in der gelben Hölle / Two Rascals in the Yellow Hell" (1974) with Brad Harris or in EuroCrime-Poliziotteschi hits like "Blutiger Schweiß / Poliziotti violenti" (1976)) is "naturally" convincing as a man whom women apparently cannot resist, even when violence is used. But his Giampaolo Ossio is by no means the image of a violent macho monster, although understanding of his character is very limited.
The exceptional German actor and GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Hardy Krüger (as Maria Schell's husband in "Solange Du da bist" (1952) or as a rowdy big game hunter in "Hatari" (1962) alongside John Wayne and Elsa Martinelli) impresses as a bigoted confessor who gives the lustful one a tormented look He has to watch the goings-on in the monastery, even though he himself has his eye on the beautiful abbess. Luigi Pistilli and Laura Belli can be seen in other roles in the film, which is exceptionally well cast.
Even though it is at the beginning of a development, this film is not a typical representative of the nunsploitation film. It's too well made and too subtle for that. But he knows how to shock and wants to do so. It worked at the box office at the time. Now it's time to see this seemingly forgotten classic again.
When this Italian film, also known as "La monaca di Monza" and "The Lady Of Monza", was released in West German cinemas on January 16, 1970, it quickly became an enormous success. More than 3 million cinema tickets were sold, placing it at number 5 in the annual charts. How could this success be explained? For some time now, the so-called exploitation films with their drastic depictions in which sexual or violent acts were "exploited" on film have been a success at the box office. Why shouldn't such a concept be applied to the hidden life behind monastery walls? After all, the allegedly sinful lives of religious sisters and brothers have been a popular theme in literature since Boccaccio's "Decameron". But it's not that simple with this film. Director Eriprando Visconti (a nephew of the important director Luchino Visconti) put a lot of effort into the quality and equipment of the film. The actors are also convincing. And the great music comes from Ennio Morricone.
What is it all about anyway? Virginia de Leyva (Anne Heywood), a daughter from a very wealthy family, acts as abbess of a monastery in Monza, northern Italy, due to her family's financial influence. Of course, the other nuns in the convent don't necessarily like that. A lot of things aren't going well in the monastery, which doesn't go unnoticed by Father Paolo (Hardy Krüger), the nuns' busy confessor. The situation comes to a head when a young hothead from the neighborhood named Ossio (Antonio Sabato) seeks and finds protection in the monastery from the consequences of an outrage he himself committed. The attractive and extremely sexually active young man arouses great interest among the sisters. An evil intrigue ensues, in the course of which the uninhibited Springinsfeld is enabled by jealous nuns to rape the unsuspecting abbess. Virginia's response to this outrageous act is not without far-reaching consequences for everyone involved.
This all sounds a lot like gossip, the exploitation of sex and violence. Some things are shown quite drastically, but it's always about the secular and church machinations in the background. There is a lot of talking in this film, so the violent actions are by no means the focus.
A big plus of this film are the excellent actors: the British Anne Heywood (seen alongside Pierre Brasseur and Daniel Gelin in the peplum film "Carthage in Flames" (1960)) is convincing as the ambivalently portrayed Virginia de Leyva, based on her life story (1575 -1650) the plot is designed. Her Virginia is torn between hot-blooded passion (in the form of Antonio Sabato) and cool bigotry (convincingly played by Hardy Krüger), but she ultimately finds the way to her own inner independence.
The attractive Antonio Sabato (after his nomination for the Golden Globe in 1967 as best young actor in the film "Grand Prix" he was a busy ItaloCinema star in the 1970s in spanking films such as "Zwei Schlitzohren in der gelben Hölle / Two Rascals in the Yellow Hell" (1974) with Brad Harris or in EuroCrime-Poliziotteschi hits like "Blutiger Schweiß / Poliziotti violenti" (1976)) is "naturally" convincing as a man whom women apparently cannot resist, even when violence is used. But his Giampaolo Ossio is by no means the image of a violent macho monster, although understanding of his character is very limited.
The exceptional German actor and GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Hardy Krüger (as Maria Schell's husband in "Solange Du da bist" (1952) or as a rowdy big game hunter in "Hatari" (1962) alongside John Wayne and Elsa Martinelli) impresses as a bigoted confessor who gives the lustful one a tormented look He has to watch the goings-on in the monastery, even though he himself has his eye on the beautiful abbess. Luigi Pistilli and Laura Belli can be seen in other roles in the film, which is exceptionally well cast.
Even though it is at the beginning of a development, this film is not a typical representative of the nunsploitation film. It's too well made and too subtle for that. But he knows how to shock and wants to do so. It worked at the box office at the time. Now it's time to see this seemingly forgotten classic again.