Devils Of Monza

''Devils of Monza'' (, also known as ''Sacrilege'') is a 1987 Italian historical erotic-drama film directed by Luciano Odorisio. It is based on real-life events related to Marianna de Leyva, better known as Sister Virginia Maria, "The Nun of Monza", whose story was made famous by Alessandro Manzoni's novel '' The Betrothed.''

Like ''Hail Mary'' (1986), ''Devils of Monza'' features Myriem Roussel in scenes of full frontal nudity. The film is considered part of the Nunsploitation subgenre, but despite its exploitative nature, the story it presents is largely faithful to the facts and testimony recounted in Mario Mazzucchelli's nonfiction book ''The Nun of Monza'' (1963), although it renders explicit some elements of the case which Mazzucchelli presents as hearsay or speculative.

The story of the Nun of Monza has inspired other films, including '' La monaca di Monza'' (1962), ''Il monaco di Monza'' (a.k.a. The Monk of Monza, 1962), ''The Lady of Monza'' (a.k.a.''The Awful Story of the Nun of Monza'', 1969), ''The True Story of the Nun of Monza'' (a.k.a. ''La vera storia della monaca di Monza'', 1980), '' Virginia, la monaca di Monza'' (2004), and ''Sometimes the Good Kill'' (2017).

Plot

Set in a nunnery in early-17th century Monza, Northern Italy, the film depicts the clandestine sexual relationship between a beautiful nun of noble birth, Sister Virginia Maria de Leyva, and a rakish local aristocrat, Gian Paolo Osio, whose estate is adjacent to the nunnery.

Osio is attracted to the proud, haughty, and sexually-repressed Sister Virginia, and attempts to court her with letters and charms provided by his lecherous friend, corrupt local priest Father Paolo Arrigone. Osio gains access to the nunnery via counterfeit keys provided by a local blacksmith. Inside the nunnery, Osio rapes Virginia in full view of her appalled roommates, Sisters Benedetta and Ottavia.

The relationship between Virginia and Osio becomes consensual and the pair engage in a series of increasingly passionate trysts, even as Virginia presents to the other nuns and the outside world the appearance of piousness and celibacy. Virginia's subordinates and confidants, Sisters Benedetta and Ottavia, become aroused by Virginia and Osio's lovemaking, and engage in mutual masturbation as they watch Osio perform cunnilingus on Virginia.

Virginia becomes fearful that her improper relationship with Osio will be exposed. Later, when Virginia falls ill and bedridden, the lustful Sister Benedetta takes advantage of the situation and confesses to Osio the love she claims she and Sister Ottavia have for him. A weakened and distraught Virginia watches Osio, Benedetta, and Ottavia have sex.

Osio's friend, Father Paolo, imposes himself further into the growing scandal by molesting one of the nuns, Sister Candida. Virginia falls pregnant by Osio and gives birth in secret to an illegitimate child.

A rebellious novice, Caterina, runs afoul of Virginia's discipline. Disgusted by Virginia's hypocrisy, Caterina threatens to expose the nun's affair with Osio and the existence of their illegitimate child. Virginia has Caterina locked in a barn and Osio later murders her and disposes of her body. Father Paolo decides to blackmail Osio.

The convent is rocked by increasingly scandalous rumours which derail Virginia's attempt to become nunnery's Mother superior. The situation escalates when Federico Borromeo, cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, orders an official investigation. Virginia is arrested and questioned by Church authorities.

A desperate and increasingly murderous Osio sets about to silence the accomplices who can incriminate him. He kills the blacksmith who forged the keys that allowed him to infiltrate the nunnery. He then persuades Sisters Benedetta and Ottavia that they are in danger and need to flee with him. Away from the nunnery, Osio attacks the two nuns and leaves them for dead. The wounded pair are later discovered and questioned. Osio becomes a wanted fugitive with a price of 1000 scudi on his head.

Although he loves Virginia, Osio refuses to accept responsibility for his part in her downfall. He writes a self-serving letter to Cardinal Borromeo and seeks refuge with a friend, who betrays Osio and
has him stabbed to death.

The confessions and testimony extracted by the investigator appointed by Borromeo are sufficient to find Virginia, her collaborators, and Father Paolo guilty. Virginia admits to her sins but claims she did so under diabolical influence and always practised self-admonishment.

Virginia is sentenced to lifetime solitary imprisonment in a small stone cell. En route to her cell, she catches a glimpse of Sisters Benedetta and Ottavia, also punished for their complicity in her crimes.

A closing caption states Virginia was released after serving 13 years of her sentence and impressed Borromeo with her repentance, which had taken on an entranced, mystical quality. Surviving the Plague, she eventually died at the age of seventy-four.

Cast

*Myriem Roussel as Sister Virginia Maria de Leyva
*Alessandro Gassman as Gian Paolo Osio
*Renato De Carmine as Cardinal Federico Borromeo
* Alina De Simone as Reverend Mother
*Augusto Zucchi as Father Paolo Arrigone
* Cyrus Elias as Giuseppe Molteno
* Flaminia Lizzani as Sister Benedetta
* Almerica Schiavo as Sister Ottavia
* Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni as Sister Candida

Release

''Devils of Monza'' was released theatrically in Italy in December 1987 and went straight to video in some European territories. It was released on home video in the United Kingdom in December 1987.

A region-free NTSC DVD of ''Devils of Monza'', under the film's North American title ''Sacrilege'', was released by Jef Films in 2008; the film's transfer appears to have been taken from a VHS copy.

The film has been released on Region 2 DVD in several editions in European territories, including a limited edition release in 2014 by the German distributor '84 Entertainment, which features German and Italian language versions of the film and contains extra features (including the complete music score as isolated tracks, and the film's German theatrical trailer). Although the film is complete, the audio and visual quality of the '84 Entertainment ''Devils of Monza'' is inconsistent; the distributor appeared to use a censored print of the film for the majority of the presentation, with several sex scenes inserted from lower-quality (presumably VHS) sources.

Pino Donaggio's ''Devils of Monza'' score, under the title ''La Monaca Di Monza'', was released as a soundtrack album by Mercury Records in 1987 (vinyl) and by Emergency Music in 2005 (compact disc). The soundtrack's twenty musical cues are included in the aforementioned '84 Entertainment DVD release of the film.

Reception

Tim Lucas of ''Video Watchdog'' described ''Devils of Monza'' as "an elegantly crafted little gem...exquisitely photographed by Romano Albani ithone of Pino Donaggio's most beautiful scores," and singled out Myriem Roussel's performance for praise:

References

External links

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1980s erotic drama films
Italian erotic drama films
Films directed by Luciano Odorisio
Nunsploitation films
Films scored by Pino Donaggio
Films about clerical celibacy
Italian historical drama films
1980s historical drama films
1987 drama films
1987 films
Cultural depictions of Italian people
1980s Italian-language films
1980s Italian films

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