Author Topic: Movie Discussion, "The Nuns Story" 1958 SPOILER ALERT (Read 4779 times)

Marcelino · « **on:** January 14, 2012, 07:19:34 PM »

The Nuns Story, (1958) starring Audrey Hepburn is a big bummer. In the end (SPOILER ALERT) she breaks her vows and goes off to do who knows what. It seemed like a pretty good story at first. It starts out with her leaving home for the convent and the sacrifice that entails. Then it goes on to explore some of the changes she has to make to become a nun. Well, it seems like the focus is kind of negative, but it seemed like there were many good scenes in the film and I didn't really get the sense that they were trying to destroy nuns until the end of the movie. Still, it seemed like a fascinating look into the life of nuns, but in the end, very unsatisfying.

DAW · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2012, 07:51:32 PM »

The Nun's Story is a great film, but it is a work of art, not a recruiting ad. It
is the story of one individual soul who believes that she has a vocation, but comes to understand that she does not. The process of self-discovery is honest, painful and forthright.
The first hour, depicting the path toward the religious vocation, is fascinating, as it is both very detailed and, now, ancient history. The nuns represented in the film exhibit a range of human characteristics, suggesting that nuns are human, even if they have religious vocations.
The film was criticized when it first opened. The Catholic hierarchy and the Catholic faithful wanted a Bing Crosby version of Catholicism, not one that held "the mirror up to nature", both in human terms and in ecclesiatical terms. The film was "anti-fiftiesist", "fiftiesism" being a sentimental, disordered view of the faith that allowed Vatican II to undermine the very foundations of the faith.
Any Catholic who holds the faith and knows recent church history should be fascinated and heartbroken while watching the film.
And the lovely and talented Audrey Hepburn gives her greatest performance.
Watch it!

Augstine Baker · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2012, 07:53:19 PM »

Anti-Catholic film which creates a false opposition between nationalism and her religious vows.

It tends to portray religious life as stifling and joyless.

One star.

Katmandu · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:22:29 PM »

I think it's a great movie because it shows what the lives of nuns were back then as opposed to what it is now.

It's also a very human story of the nun's daily struggle. The fact that she decides later on to leave the convent should not discourage anyone from watching the movie. These things happen in real life as well.

Augstine Baker · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:24:20 PM »

Quote from: Katmandu

I think it's a great movie because it shows what the lives of nuns were back then as opposed to what it is now. It's also a very human story of the nun's daily struggle. The fact that she decides later on to leave the convent should not discourage anyone from watching the movie. These things happen in real life as well.

How do you know it's an accurate portrayal of the lives of nuns "back then"?

Katmandu · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2012, 10:20:05 PM »

Quote from: Augstine Baker

Quote from: Katmandu
I think it's a great movie because it shows what the lives of nuns were back then as opposed to what it is now. It's also a very human story of the nun's daily struggle. The fact that she decides later on to leave the convent should not discourage anyone from watching the movie. These things happen in real life as well.

How do you know it's an accurate portrayal of the lives of nuns "back then"?

I don't know, I can only assume because it's very strict and very very different to what we have now

Elizabeth · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2012, 10:53:26 PM »

I agree with DAW that the film is worth watching, but only if one is prepared in advance for Audrey to change her mind.

I wouldn't want my little girl to see it, because there are only a handful of nun movies and only a handful of nuns left. There are not enough of this genre to compare it to, not much to inspire a longing for the religious life.

I was depressed by Audrey's leave-taking to persue a life in the world. It depressed me as much as divorce does-even if Audrey never took her vows.

Are there are any other good nun movies we should know about?

Augstine Baker · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2012, 08:56:13 AM »

Quote from: Katmandu

Quote from: Augstine Baker
Quote from: Katmandu
I think it's a great movie because it shows what the lives of nuns were back then as opposed to what it is now. It's also a very human story of the nun's daily struggle. The fact that she decides later on to leave the convent should not discourage anyone from watching the movie. These things happen in real life as well.

How do you know it's an accurate portrayal of the lives of nuns "back then"?

I don't know, I can only assume because it's very strict and very very different to what we have now

Oh, ok, you know it was very very very strict because you saw it on a film...

Augstine Baker · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2012, 08:56:51 AM »

Quote from: Elizabeth

I agree with DAW that the film is worth watching, but only if one is prepared in advance for Audrey to change her mind.

I wouldn't want my little girl to see it, because there are only a handful of nun movies and only a handful of nuns left. There are not enough of this genre to compare it to, not much to inspire a longing for the religious life.

I was depressed by Audrey's leave-taking to persue a life in the world. It depressed me as much as divorce does-even if Audrey never took her vows.

Are there are any other good nun movies we should know about?

You were meant to be depressed, it's an anti-Catholic film.

Marcelino · « **Reply #9 on:** January 15, 2012, 05:35:34 PM »

Quote from: Elizabeth

I agree with DAW that the film is worth watching, but only if one is prepared in advance for Audrey to change her mind.

I wouldn't want my little girl to see it, because there are only a handful of nun movies and only a handful of nuns left. There are not enough of this genre to compare it to, not much to inspire a longing for the religious life.

I was depressed by Audrey's leave-taking to persue a life in the world. It depressed me as much as divorce does-even if Audrey never took her vows.

Are there are any other good nun movies we should know about?

That's a good question!

I don't know why this film shouldn't be considered another example of "nunsploitation." I mean the idea is that nuns are supposed to be sɛҳuąƖly repressed, overburdened with all kinds of irrational guilt and must adopt an unrealistic goal for holiness and that either drives them mad or turns them into hypocrites. That seems to be what happened to Sister Luke, in "The Nun's Story," except she's supposed to have gotten out "in time."

Thursday · « **Reply #10 on:** January 15, 2012, 05:42:37 PM »

I wonder how many young women that movie dissuaded from following their vocation.

Marcelino · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2012, 05:45:36 PM »

Quote from: Thursday

I wonder how many young women that movie dissuaded from following their vocation.

It made beliefnet's list of nun movies

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Movies/2009/01/11-Memorable-Movie-Nuns.aspx?p=11

Augstine Baker · « **Reply #12 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:20:23 PM »

Quote from: Marcelino

Quote from: Thursday
I wonder how many young women that movie dissuaded from following their vocation.

It made beliefnet's list of nun movies

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Movies/2009/01/11-Memorable-Movie-Nuns.aspx?p=11

Along with Sister Susan Seranwrap in "Dead Man Walking" and "Agnes of God".

:kick-can:

Katmandu · « **Reply #13 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:50:09 PM »

Quote from: Augstine Baker

Quote from: Katmandu
Quote from: Augstine Baker
Quote from: Katmandu
I think it's a great movie because it shows what the lives of nuns were back then as opposed to what it is now. It's also a very human story of the nun's daily struggle. The fact that she decides later on to leave the convent should not discourage anyone from watching the movie. These things happen in real life as well.

How do you know it's an accurate portrayal of the lives of nuns "back then"?

I don't know, I can only assume because it's very strict and very very different to what we have now

Oh, ok, you know it was very very very strict because you saw it on a film...

I enjoyed the film and obviously you did not, so we agree to disagree on this - right?

Thursday · « **Reply #14 on:** January 15, 2012, 07:22:36 PM »

I enjoyed it, and as Hollywood movies go it was a good movie, but out of all the stories about nuns they could have portrayed they chose this one, where the nun breaks her vows. The other young nuns were all geeks and the star leaves, it just seems like a subtle piece of cultural warfare. Who, as an impressionable young lady, would you want to emulate after watching this film?