''Dialogue with the Carmelites'' (, , also known as ''The Carmelites'') is a 1960 French-Italian

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by Raymond Léopold Bruckberger and

Philippe Agostini Philippe Agostini was a French cinematographer, director and screenwriter born 11 August 1910 in Paris (France), died 20 October 2001. He was married to Odette Joyeux until the end of her life. Biography Founder of École Louis-Lumière (sit ...

and starring

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

Alida Valli Baroness Alida Maria Laura Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli, or simply Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, span ...

Madeleine Renaud Lucie Madeleine Renaud (; 21 February 1900 – 23 September 1994) was a French actress best remembered for her work in the theatre. She did though appear in several films directed by Jean Grémillon including '' Remorques'' (''Stormy Waters'', 1 ...

, Pascale Audret,

Pierre Brasseur Pierre Brasseur (; 22 December 1905 – 16 August 1972), born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor. Biography The son of actors Georges Espinasse and Germaine Brasseur was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name ''Br ...

and

Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Bernard Barrault (; 8 September 1910 – 22 January 1994) was a French actor, director and mime artist who worked on both screen and stage. Biography Barrault was born in Le Vésinet in France in 1910. His father was 'a Burgundi ...

. It is based upon the play by

Georges Bernanos Louis Émile Clément Georges Bernanos (; 20 February 1888 – 5 July 1948) was a French author, and a soldier in World War I. A Catholic with monarchist leanings, he was critical of elitist thought and was opposed to what he identified as d ...

, which in turn was adapted from the novella '' The Song at the Scaffold'' by

Gertrud von Le Fort Baroness Gertrud von Le Fort (born Gertrud Auguste Lina Elsbeth Mathilde Petrea Freiin von Le Fort; 11 October 1876 – 1 November 1971) was a German writer. Life Le Fort was born in Minden, in the former Province of Westphalia, then the Kin ...

. It's the story of the

Martyrs of Compiègne The Martyrs of Compiègne were the 16 members of the Carmel of Compiègne, France: 11 Discalced Carmelite nuns, three lay sisters, and two externs (or tertiaries). They were executed by the guillotine towards the end of the Reign of Terror, at ...

, Carmelite nuns who were guillotined in Paris in 1794 in the waning days of the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...

during the French Revolution, after refusing to renounce their vocation.

Plot

During the difficult years of the French Revolution, the young noblewoman Bianca, on the advice of her father, the Marquis de la Force, has entered the cloistered convent of the Carmelites of Compiègne. Her need to find a safe refuge is accompanied by a certain religious vocation, but, despite this, she is afraid of facing sacrifices and suffering and of not being up to her choice. Soon the revolutionary authorities and the people begin to harass the nuns, accusing them of being reactionary enemies of the homeland, who grab riches and give hospitality to fugitives. Forced to leave the convent, the nuns vow to be willing to sacrifice their lives so that the Catholic religion can survive in France. Dispersed in small groups, almost all of them are arrested, found guilty and sentenced to death. The procession that accompanies them to the Place du Trône-Renversé (now the Place de la Nation), where the execution is to take place, crosses the streets of Paris between prayers, blessings and religious songs. Bianca de la Force, with courage, climbs the gallows in place of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, who is the only one to be saved and who alone will continue to practice the teaching of Carmel.

Cast

as Mère Marie de l'Incarnation *

as Mère Thérèse de Saint-Augustin *

as La première prieure * Pascale Audret as Soeur Blanche de l'Agonie du Christ (Blanche de la Force) *

as Le commissaire de la République *

as Le Mime * Anne Doat as Soeur Constance de Saint-Denis (Marie-Geneviève Meunier) * Georges Wilson as L'aumǒnier du Carmel * Pierre Bertin as Le marquis de la Force * Claude Laydu as Le Chevalier de la Force *

Judith Magre Judith Magre (born 20 November 1926) is a French actress, born in Montier-en-Der, Haute-Marne. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Magre, Judith 1926 births Living people French film actresses French television ...

as Rose Ducor * Simone Angèle as Soeur Agnès (as Simone Angele) * Pascale de Boysson as Soeur Cécile * Jacqueline Dane as Soeur Gabrielle * Paula Dehelly as Soeur Catherine * Hélène Dieudonné as Soeur Jeanne de la Divine Enfance (as Helene Dieudonne) * Yvette Etiévant as Soeur Lucie, la tourière (as Yvette Etievant) * Anouk Ferjac as Soeur Gabrielle * Sophie Grimaldi as Soeur Anne de Jésus * Lydia Lester as Soeur Gertrude * Margo Lion as Soeur Saint-Louis * Nicole Polack as Soeur Charlotte * Hélène Vallier as Soeur Agathe * Lucien Arnaud as Le cocher * Camille Guérini as Docteur Javeline, le médecin du Carmel (as Camille Guerini) * Renaud Mary as Fouquier-Tinville * Lucien Raimbourg as Le commissaire -adjoint * Albert Rémy as un sans-culotte (as Albert Remy) * Daniel Ceccaldi as L'Officier

References

External links

* 1960 films Films directed by Philippe Agostini Drama films based on actual events Films based on works by Georges Bernanos Films set in the 1790s French Revolution films 1960s historical drama films French historical drama films Italian historical drama films 1960s French-language films 1960s French films 1960s Italian films Films set in convents {{1960s-Italy-film-stub