La Badessa di Castro

The Castro's Abbess

Italy 1974
produced by
Gino Mordini for Clauda Cinematografica
directed by Armando Crispino
starring Barbara Bouchet, Pier Paolo Capponi, Ida Galli (as Eveline Stewart), Antonio Cantafora, Mara Venier, Luciana Turina, Ciro Ippolito, Stefano Oppedisano, Serena Spaziani, Jole Fierro, Giancarlo Maestro, Marcello Tusco, Franca Lumachi, Giuseppe Pertile, Paola Granata, Patrizia Valturri, Attilio Dottesio, Goffredo Unger
written by Lucio Battistrada, Armando Crispino, music by Carlo Savina

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Monsignor Cittadini (Pier Paolo Capponi) falls in love with Abbess Elena (Barbara Bouchet), the young and sensual mother superior of a nearby convent, despite the fact that she dares standing up against orders from Rome and from him. Soon enough, he has found out about her past - she is the daughter of a rich family who was in love with a bandit (Antonio Cantafora), and for that alone, she was sent to the nunnery, but her family used her influence to put her into a position of power. Knowing about her past and playing on her carnal desires, the bishop is soon able to bed the nun ... but after their first encounter, Elena decides to break off all relations with him, and soon she and the bishop are at their own private war.

Ultimately though, Elena can't help to give in to the Monsignore's persistence, and they become a couple - much to the dismay of sister Agata (Ida Galli), who feels that Elena has robbed the title of mother superior from her in the first place, and who spills the beans to the Spanish Inquisition - with not quite the desired effect, since the Inquisition decides to torture her before turning on Elena.

Elena has since been impregnated and gives birth when the Inquisition is already at the convent, The baby is taken from her and she is tortured to give away the name of her lover - since the chief inquisitor is actually after Monsignor Citttadini and not her - but she takes the name with her to her grave.

Rather uninspired nunsploitation pic/period piece with shades of The Devils, but little in terms of originality and a plot full of unlikeable, scheming characters that makes it hard to feel for the film's leads, the bishop and the mother superior. On the plus side, the film finds plenty an excuse for Barbara Bouchet to unrobe, and she's certainlyy a pleasure to look at - but that's hardly enough to carry the film as a whole, now is it?

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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