In May 2004 I had the opportunity to visit Brussels , Antwerp and Bruges . In the latter city, whose old town was declared a model in 2000 Heritage by UNESCO , pleasantly surprised me the beauty and tranquility of the building complex that makes up the so-called Beaterio Vine ( Begijnhof Ten Wiingaerde ), a former convent for pious women since 1927 is home to a community of Benedictine nuns.
A detail on the roof of one house of the Vine Beaterio
Our humble opinion, the most famous nuns (And attractive) in the history of cinema have been Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman ) in "The Bells of St. Mary" ( Leo McCarey, 1945), Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) in "black Narciso" ( Michael Powell, 1947) and our favorite, Sister Luke (sober and angelic Audrey Hepburn in one of the best performances of his career), "The Nun's Story" ( Fred Zinnemann, 1959).
Deborah Kerr in "black Narciso"
The screenplay by Robert Anderson was inspired by the book by the writer Kathryn Hulme, which has their experiences alongside the dedicated ex-Belgian nun and nurse Marie Louise Habets , when the two worked hand in hand to provide assistance to refugees victims of World War II .
Marie Louise Habets during his time as religious
dramatic action runs from 1927 to 1944. Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn ), the eldest daughter of a famous Belgian surgeon, the Dr . Van der Mal ( Dean Jagger), feels the religious and decides to become a missionary to care for the sick and needy in the Belgian Congo . Enter a postulant in the convent of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary , a congregation founded by Peter Triest in 1803 in Lovendegen ( Belgium ). Since then becomes Luke's sister, perhaps in honor of San Lucas , patron of doctors ...
But this is also the story of a strong vocation, a beautiful young man full of ideals that seek to achieve its best outside the walls of the convent, once freed from the strict view rules order as Sister Luke is much more fulfilling caring for the outcasts and lepers in the forests more unknown, in the wildest places.
parallel, we witness another selfless existence, the Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch ), a cynical take and back, to almost godless atheism, a far more earthly completely opposed the spirituality of the nun nurse immaculate. Two very different ways of understanding the love of neighbor that lead to the same haven of solidarity.
But this is also the story of a strong vocation, a beautiful young man full of ideals that seek to achieve its best outside the walls of the convent, once freed from the strict view rules order as Sister Luke is much more fulfilling caring for the outcasts and lepers in the forests more unknown, in the wildest places.
parallel, we witness another selfless existence, the Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch ), a cynical take and back, to almost godless atheism, a far more earthly completely opposed the spirituality of the nun nurse immaculate. Two very different ways of understanding the love of neighbor that lead to the same haven of solidarity.
Peter Finch is Dr. Fortunati
In our view, despite its undoubted value uplifting, this film suffers in certain moments of excessive delays, especially in the scenes that narrate the process of the novitiate and profession of the vows of our protagonist. On the other hand we see how Luke's sister started working as a nurse in the hospital attached to the convent for women, which seems to temporarily fill her happiness.
His next parcel places her in a psychiatric hospital serving the Sisters of Charity. C s part of their treatment, as he patient groups sisters keep submerged in hot baths at constant temperature for hours. Among those bleak walls Luke's sister suffer the brutal assault by a psychotic patient, who in his delirium believed to be the Archangel Gabriel . Gabrielle was the name of the nun and the brutal fighting between the two is a beautiful metaphor for the struggle within the protagonist keeps between his love for God and love neighbor.
the Belgian Congo.
The history of Belgian Congo, now Democratic Republic of Congo could synthesize the voracious drama triggered by the Western colonization of much of Africa. It began as a private property of King Leopold II of Belgium , stage in which the exploitation of natural resources and the bloody repression of their enslaved people write one of the saddest and darkest pages in the history of mankind. Precisely in this period environmental "The Dream of Celtic , the last novel Mario Vargas Llosa , our brand Nobel Prize for Literature.
When Sister Luke comes to the Congolese missions, this vast territory is administered by the Belgian government, from the sale of the monarch in 1908. Then proliferated schools governed by a paternalistic model Christian, manager pattern that extended to hospitals, usually staffed by religious orders with the help of specialized native. Racial segregation also prevailed in those latitudes, and Sister Luke soon will be forced to abandon the care of the Congolese to take jobs in the hospital for whites, Dr. Fortunati stubborn side.
After initial disappointment, Sister Luke is resigned to his new duties. In the absence of the physician to save secure leg amputation wound Father Andre ( Stephen Murray), on a trip to Heart of Darkness visit the leper father of atypical Vermeuhlen (Niall MacGinnis ) for verify that the priest has also been infected with leprosy , and incidentally confirm the terrible living conditions these outcasts of the jungle, and finally end up getting a tuberculosis that eventually bedridden for several weeks.
We note here that at about the same historical period in which the action unfolds in "The Nun's Story," Waksman , Dubos Shatz and in 1942 discovered the antibacterial properties of Streptomyces griseum, a fungus that lives in soil. Following this discovery would synthesize streptomycin in 1944, the first effective drug in the treatment of tuberculosis.
The para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS ) was developed by Lehman in 1945. After the second World War, Hoffman discovered in 1952, isoniazid or nicotinic acid hydrazide . Finally, rifampicin dating back to 1968, synthesized from rifamycin by the Italian group led by Sensi .
cinephilia
- This movie has brought to mind the story "reverse" Dolores Hart, who left a promising career as an actress to dress Benedictine habits. His most memorable roles situating himself next to Elvis Presley in "Loving You" ( Hal Kanter, 1957) and "King Creole" ( Michael Curtiz, 1958). Novice since 1967, is now the abbess of her convent and the nun only voting member of the Academy Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA.
- As the protagonist, the producers thought at first to Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress but felt that his age (44 years) could be a handicap when playing Sister Luke, she then suggested the hiring of Audrey Hepburn, 14 years younger.
- Following the filming of this movie, Hepburn struck up a friendship with Maria Louise Habets. In fact, the former nun and nurse took care of the actress when she suffered a serious riding accident during filming of the legendary western "The Unforgiven" ( John Huston, 1960).
- Habets In homage to in this film the sisters are called van der Mal Marie (Marina Wolkonsky ) and Louise .
- For the father's role André previously thought in a genuine religious option that had to be rejected in favor of veteran actor Stephen Murray.
0 comments:
Post a Comment