Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1960
Dialogue with the Carmelites
Buy Dialogue with the Carmelites now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Dialogue with the Carmelites' (, , also known as 'The Carmelites') is a 1960 French-Italian historical drama film written and directed by Raymond Lopold Bruckberger and Philippe Agostini. It is based upon the play by Georges Bernanos, which in turn was adapted from the novel by Gertrud von Le Fort. It's the story of the Martyrs of Compigne, Carmelite nuns who were guillotined in Paris in 1794 in the waning days of the Reign of Terror 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, decided to enter the cloistered convent of the Carmelites of Compigne. The need to find a safe refuge is accompanied by a certain religious vocation, but, despite this, Bianca is afraid of facing sacrifices and suffering and is afraid of not being up to her choice.
Soon the revolutionary authorities and the people will begin to annoy the nuns, accused of being reactionary, enemies of the homeland, who grab riches and give hospitality to the 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 will be arrested, found guilty and sentenced to death. The procession that accompanies them to the Square of the Reversed Throne, where the execution will take place, will cross the streets of Paris between prayers, blessings and religious songs. Bianca de la Force, with courage, will climb the gallows in place of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, who will be the only one to be saved and who alone will have to continue to practice the teaching of Carmel.
Cast
* Jeanne Moreau : Mre Marie de l'Incarnation
* Alida Valli : Mre Thrse de Saint-Augustin
* Madeleine Renaud : First Prioress
* Pascale Audret : Blanche de la Force
* Pierre Brasseur : Commissioner of the Revolution
* Jean-Louis Barrault : Mime
* Anne Doat : Sister Constance de Saint-Denis
* Georges Wilson : Chaplain of the Carmel
* Pascale de Boysson : Sister Ccile
* Hlne Dieudonn : Sister Jeanne de la Divine Enfance
* Pierre Bertin : Marquis de la Force
* Claude Laydu : Chevalier de la Force
* Daniel Ceccaldi : Officier
* Judith Magre : Rose Ducor
References
Buy Dialogue with the Carmelites now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1960