It's still a long haul (made no lighter by Franz Waxman's abominably insistent score) for anyone not committed to theological problems of faith, conscience and obedience.
The Nun's Story (1959)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:13
Fresh:12
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.7/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 31 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: A young nun dedicated to medical work in the African Congo and in World War II Belgium struggles to reconcile her independent spirit to the rigors and humility of a religious life. Academy Award... A young nun dedicated to medical work in the African Congo and in World War II Belgium struggles to reconcile her independent spirit to the rigors and humility of a religious life. Academy Award Nominations: 8, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress--Audrey Hepburn, Best (Adapted) Screenplay. [More]
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Colleen Dewhurst
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Producer: Henry Blanke
Screenwriter: Robert Anderson
Composer: Franz Waxman
Reviews for The Nun's Story
Zinneman, an intelligent if dullish director, has avoided such obvious pitfalls in this adaptation of a factually based best-seller.
A superbly restrained piece of filmmaking, with Zinnemann directing in simple, unadorned style and Hepburn giving a truly radiant performance.
Considered to be Zinnemann's masterpiece, this drama depicts the spiritual tug of war of a young nun, beautifully played by Audrey Hepburn, between adherence to vows of chastity and obedience and rebellion against those very for her self-fulfillment
Certainly doesn't offer the positive depiction of religious life common in 1950s Hollywood, but it's not an anti-religious or anti-Catholic depiction either.
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