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4.0 out of 5 stars
Classy Spanish Nunsploitation That Raises Some Great Questions About Religion..., May 12, 2010
This review is from: Love Letters of a Nun (DVD)
Spain 1640, and Mother Mariana attends the death of her sister's husband along with servants and parish priest. The inconsolable widow fondles her husband's body as tho he were alive, kissing his genitalia until the Mother Superior intervenes. Aroused by her sister's final grieving act, she writes a confessional letter to Father Augustin, embarrassed to do so in person at confession the next day.
That night one of the novice nuns, Maria (Jess Franco`s real-life partner Lina Romay) comes to the Mother's room raving about nightly visitations by a pilgrim, and mistakes the maternal affectations of the Mother as romantic, and sexually ravages her. Mother Mariana bitchslaps Maria, then Maria attempts to masturbate with a wooden crucifix (don't you just love religious extremism?), other nuns arrive and Maria is now accused of demonic possession.
At confession, Mariana confesses romantic feelings for Father Augustin, and they discuss wavering faith in vows, and intellectually raise several great points concerning religious belief - if God is present in all things, then why are we taught to look upon desire and our bodies as sinful and weak? If religious laws are based on fear, repression and punishment, are these truly God's Laws? And what of the holy arrogance that hides behind religious virtue?
So, the Inquisition arrives ("Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!"), and Maria is cast as a witch, later to be burnt for her heresy, and the love letters between Augustin and Mariana continue until their relationship comes to fleshy fruition and to the attention of others, and is subsequentially halted by Augustin`s transfer to another diocese to save his soul. Mariana believes he will return to her and life will again be good, wearing a thorny corset under her habit in avid anticipation, but that simply isn't how it goes...
Directed with style and class by Jorge Grau ('Legend Of Blood Castle', 'The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue') this is nunsploitation at its finest and most intellectual. Nudity and sleaze are minimized although present. I'd recommend this film to anyone looking for a thoughtful flick about the Church as well as to the nunsploitation choir.
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