{"id":20553,"date":"2011-12-16T10:52:54","date_gmt":"2011-12-16T17:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20553"},"modified":"2022-08-16T21:57:47","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T04:57:47","slug":"nuns-story-a-1959","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20553","title":{"rendered":"Nun&#8217;s Story, The (1959)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Your personal wishes cease to exist when you enter that door.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Nuns-Story-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Nuns-Story-Poster-211x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"211\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Nuns-Story-Poster-211x300.jpg 211w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Nuns-Story-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Nuns-Story-Poster.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 211px) 100vw, 211px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe daughter (Audrey Hepburn) of a renowned surgeon (Dean Jagger) becomes a nun and is sent to the Belgian Congo, where she works with Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch) in a hospital and struggles to remain true to the tenets of her faith.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Africa<\/li>\n<li>Audrey Hepburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Dean Jagger Films<\/li>\n<li>Doctors and Nurses<\/li>\n<li>Fred Zinnemann Films<\/li>\n<li>Mildred Dunnock Films<\/li>\n<li>Niall MacGinnis Films<\/li>\n<li>Nuns<\/li>\n<li>Peter Finch Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nUpon learning that Fred Zinnemann&#8217;s 2.5-hour <em>The Nun&#8217;s Story<\/em> &#8212; based on a factually-inspired novel by <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kathryn_Hulme\">Kathryn Hulme<\/a> &#8212; became Warner Brothers&#8217; highest grossing film at the time of its release, one feels a renewed respect for the tolerances and interests of mid-century American audiences, given that it&#8217;s a lengthy, serious, introspective movie about the quest for a meaningful spiritual existence. Yet it was likely the undeniable star-power of Audrey Hepburn &#8212; in perhaps her best-suited role &#8212; that drew viewers to the theater; while there&#8217;s nary a Dior outfit in sight, she remains as captivating to watch as ever. Her wonderfully expressive face tells us everything we need to know about the complicated trajectory her character chooses to undergo, shedding her prior identity as Gabrielle van der Mal &#8212; beloved daughter of a devoted father (Dean Jagger) &#8212; to become &#8220;Sister Luke&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>The film&#8217;s first half-hour is arguably its most compelling &#8212; simply from an ethnographic perspective &#8212; as we&#8217;re made privy to the ritualistic experiences of novitiate nuns, whose lives are conducted largely in silence. After this, the narrative turns to the quietly compelling drama of Hepburn&#8217;s struggle to remain &#8220;Selfless&#8221;, as she&#8217;s trained for work as a nurse, and is given no choice in where she&#8217;s sent or who she&#8217;s asked to work with. Audiences must have wondered what &#8212; if anything &#8212; would be made of Sister Luke&#8217;s close working situation with Peter Finch&#8217;s enigmatic and handsome Dr. Fortunati (what a name!); thankfully, both the script and the performances preserve the essence of their platonic mutual respect for one another. The film&#8217;s final half-hour, as Sister Luke reaches a crisis in her personal identity, serves as a fine culmination to the meaty and respectful narrative we&#8217;ve experienced until then.<\/p>\n<p>In sum, <em>The Nun&#8217;s Story<\/em> will likely surprise you in the way it manages to present a saga of spiritual angst within such a compelling and engaging narrative framework. In a way, this would make a fascinating double-bill with <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19694\"><em>Black Narcissus<\/em> (1947)<\/a>, given that the two films &#8212; though obviously told in radically divergent cinematic styles &#8212; are thematically related in that they are both concerned with nuns who question their devotion to their order. Both films also feature a fine cast of supporting performers: as DVD Savant notes, <em>The Nun&#8217;s Story<\/em> offers a virtual &#8220;Who&#8217;s Who of professional actresses&#8221; popping up at various times throughout its narrative, including Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Patricia Collinge, Ruth White, Colleen Dewhurst, and Dorothy Alison (the latter in a truly heartbreaking and memorable bit part). The male roster, while naturally smaller, is also impressive, and includes not only Finch but Dean Jagger (in a small but pivotal role as Hepburn&#8217;s father), Lionel Jeffries, and Niall MacGinnis. The collective energies that went into crafting this lovingly told, powerful tale make it well worth a film fanatic&#8217;s time to sit through. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audrey Hepburn as Sister Luke (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Hepburn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Hepburn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Hepburn.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Hepburn-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Hepburn-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Peter Finch as Dr. Fortunati<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Finch.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Finch.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Finch.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Finch-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Finch-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many fine supporting performances<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Jagger.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Jagger.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Jagger.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Jagger-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Jagger-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Dewhurst.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Dewhurst.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Dewhurst.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Dewhurst-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Dewhurst-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Alison.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Alison.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Alison.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Alison-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Alison-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The fascinating first half-hour, in which Hepburn is indoctrinated into her order<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Ritual.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Ritual.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Ritual.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Ritual-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Ritual-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cutting-Hair.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cutting-Hair.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cutting-Hair.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cutting-Hair-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cutting-Hair-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An interesting ethnographic glimpse at life in the Congo<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa1.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa1-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa1-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa2-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa2-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa3.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa3-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Africa3-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Franz Planer&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cinematography.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cinematography-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Nuns-Story-Cinematography-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a surprisingly powerful film about spiritual faith and personal identity. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0053131\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1959\/06\/19\/archives\/the-dedicated-story-of-a-nun-audrey-hepburn-stars-in-music-hall.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1978nun.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/16107\/the-nuns-story#articles-reviews\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-nuns-story-1\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Your personal wishes cease to exist when you enter that door.&#8221; Synopsis: The daughter (Audrey Hepburn) of a renowned surgeon (Dean Jagger) becomes a nun and is sent to the Belgian Congo, where she works with Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch) in a hospital and struggles to remain true to the tenets of her faith. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Africa Audrey Hepburn Films Dean Jagger Films Doctors and Nurses Fred Zinnemann Films Mildred Dunnock Films Niall MacGinnis Films Nuns Peter&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20553\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20553"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86258,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20553\/revisions\/86258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}