This film amounts to an astounding array of cinematic techniques and artistry put in the service of a fairly conventional and even quaint story. In order to fully enjoy this film I would have to turn my brain off. The fundamental idea of the story is that there is some qualitative difference which amounts to an excess of "earthly" sensualism in this remote mountain location that is responsible for shaking the religious faith of a group of nuns and even driving one (Flora Robson) beyond the brink of sanity. I find this premise naive and so the entire film, despite its sometimes astounding beauty, falls apart for me.
Another problem is that Deborah Kerr is such a good actress, she makes the relatively average talents of the rest of the cast almost a painful detriment. Sabu is a corny actor whose attempts to be cute are irritating (it's like he imagines he's still a child star), and his perfunctory romance with the young native girl played by Jean Simmons comes off as an afterthought in the movie. David Farrar has the right rugged screen presence but can't act either to save his life. The big fireworks are reserved for Robson, whose performance is mostly made up of lighting effects and makeup -- and thank the cinematic gods for that because otherwise it's a thoroughly clichéd and dull performance.
But Kerr makes up for some of that... she truly was a genius. The way her eyes flash in the climactic scene when she whirls around, thinking to confront Robson in the small church, that's what I call "the goods." She's one in a million. Too bad even she can't rescue the embarrassing flashback sequences where she has to go through the motions of the typical "doomed young romance." She's anything but convincing as a naive emotional young girl.
Her character is deeply repressed, and even though the film shows that the life she's living is a huge lie, it expects us to accept her vocation as some kind of noble sacrifice. Now I was raised Catholic, but I never heard of an Order that requires its adherents to renew their vows on an annual basis. This seems like just a very idiotic literary device included to provide some kind of dramatic impulse to the potential romance between Kerr and Farrar's characters.
Even more troubling to me is the film's naive argument that this particular place is so sensual that it represents a threat to the ascetic philosophy of the nuns. Surely these nuns never should have been in a convent in the first place, if they are so upset by a little fresh air and a nice view. And this is compounded by the film's insulting and patronizing depiction of the native people of the region -- Farrar's character describes them as "children" and nothing in the film contradicts this idea. However what's truly bizarre and compelling is that the actual artifice of the film itself, all done in a studio, does seem to give this naive premise a very tangible quality as if it were plausible. I don't think you could get the same effect with natural lighting and images. So what really should seem silly, instead seems sublime. Still, the whole idea of the film is based on an illusion. The film did have a chance to push this into a higher gear by acknowledging it and transcending it, but instead squandered the chance on cheap dramatics and a brief action scene between the two contentious nuns.
This is a very hard film to talk about. I think it is a film of great beauty, but it has nothing meaningful to say about the real world or about the real problems of people. Perhaps if you can watch a movie and disconnect from all feeling that there is such a thing as a real world outside the movie, then this could be one of the great films of all time. It truly is that much of a technical feat. But for me, it's basically a very well made adaptation of what seems to be a pretty lame novel. I only wish that all this talent could have been poured into something that I could believe in.
Another problem is that Deborah Kerr is such a good actress, she makes the relatively average talents of the rest of the cast almost a painful detriment. Sabu is a corny actor whose attempts to be cute are irritating (it's like he imagines he's still a child star), and his perfunctory romance with the young native girl played by Jean Simmons comes off as an afterthought in the movie. David Farrar has the right rugged screen presence but can't act either to save his life. The big fireworks are reserved for Robson, whose performance is mostly made up of lighting effects and makeup -- and thank the cinematic gods for that because otherwise it's a thoroughly clichéd and dull performance.
But Kerr makes up for some of that... she truly was a genius. The way her eyes flash in the climactic scene when she whirls around, thinking to confront Robson in the small church, that's what I call "the goods." She's one in a million. Too bad even she can't rescue the embarrassing flashback sequences where she has to go through the motions of the typical "doomed young romance." She's anything but convincing as a naive emotional young girl.
Her character is deeply repressed, and even though the film shows that the life she's living is a huge lie, it expects us to accept her vocation as some kind of noble sacrifice. Now I was raised Catholic, but I never heard of an Order that requires its adherents to renew their vows on an annual basis. This seems like just a very idiotic literary device included to provide some kind of dramatic impulse to the potential romance between Kerr and Farrar's characters.
Even more troubling to me is the film's naive argument that this particular place is so sensual that it represents a threat to the ascetic philosophy of the nuns. Surely these nuns never should have been in a convent in the first place, if they are so upset by a little fresh air and a nice view. And this is compounded by the film's insulting and patronizing depiction of the native people of the region -- Farrar's character describes them as "children" and nothing in the film contradicts this idea. However what's truly bizarre and compelling is that the actual artifice of the film itself, all done in a studio, does seem to give this naive premise a very tangible quality as if it were plausible. I don't think you could get the same effect with natural lighting and images. So what really should seem silly, instead seems sublime. Still, the whole idea of the film is based on an illusion. The film did have a chance to push this into a higher gear by acknowledging it and transcending it, but instead squandered the chance on cheap dramatics and a brief action scene between the two contentious nuns.
This is a very hard film to talk about. I think it is a film of great beauty, but it has nothing meaningful to say about the real world or about the real problems of people. Perhaps if you can watch a movie and disconnect from all feeling that there is such a thing as a real world outside the movie, then this could be one of the great films of all time. It truly is that much of a technical feat. But for me, it's basically a very well made adaptation of what seems to be a pretty lame novel. I only wish that all this talent could have been poured into something that I could believe in.