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The Act of the Heart
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Wikipedia article
'The Act of the Heart' is a 1970 Canadian drama film written, directed and produced by Paul Almond. It stars Genevive Bujold, Donald Sutherland, Monique Leyrac, and Sharon Acker.
Synopsis
Martha Hayes (Genevive Bujold) is a devoutly religious young woman from Qubec's Cte-Nord who fancies herself as some kind of a saint. She has come to Montreal to serve as a nanny to Russell (Bill Mitchell), the son of a widowed business woman (Monique Leyrac).
Martha joins a church choir and becomes attracted to Father Michael Ferrier (Donald Sutherland), an Augustinian monk who has selected her to sing solo in an interfaith concert. Russell accidentally dies. Martha suffers a crisis in faith and to Ferrier declares her love for him. Ferrier reciprocates and leaves the order so they can live together with Martha singing to support them. She is tormented by guilt for betraying her profound religious principles she immolates herself on a hill (Mount Royal) overlooking Montreal.
Comment
The second of three films by Almond featuring Bujold, it aroused considerable difference in opinion upon its release, but it stands nonetheless as a profound statement on the universal themes of ritual, sacrifice and purification. A disappointment at the box-office, it nevertheless won six Canadian Film Awards - including Direction (Almond) and Lead Actress (Bujold). 'Act of the Heart' is the first Canadian feature film that compares in artistic quality and importance with the best of our literature, painting and music. John Hofsess, 'Macleans'.
References
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