Stealing Heaven

Guiltily enjoyable, in a quasi-historical, smutty kind of way. The soundtrack was pretty heavy-handed, and the dialogue didn't inspire, but it's a steamy, pretty piece of fluff. [A waste of Denholm Elliot's talent, though.] It has a "made for late-night premium cable" feel.

This movie is a must see for romance fans. It has glorious love scenes, fantastic plot, and characters that are very well developed.

This romance is based on the real story of two lovers separated by the Catholic Church but bound by their hearts.

Set in Paris during the building of Notre Dame, young Heloise is brought from a convent to live with her uncle, a solicitor for the cathedral building fund. Heloise is well-educated and spirited, a dangerous combination for a woman in this time. She meets Master Abelard, a teacher at the cathedral and they fall in love despite his vow of celibacy.

The scandal of their love explodes when Heloise becomes pregnant.

The sets and costume are quite convincing--if only the actors sounded more French than English.

This is one of my favorite films despite the fact I have a book of some of Abelard's writings in which he displays a near-contempt for Heloise and those around him. A far cry from Derek de Lint's character.

Good enough movie, great story. Abelard and Heloise share one of the great love stories of history. Throw in the religious environment of the middle ages, the clergy's sacred vow of chastity, and a life long enforced penitence, not to mention the unmentionable punishment for any male, and you have a worthwhile film if at all well-made, which this one is. It's a shame that more meaningful movies like this one can't be made available to the American public. The U.S. version has been cut of some sexual content to avoid an R rating, but the love scenes are still erotic and moving. Period costuming also add to the color and enjoyment of 'Stealing Heaven'. As an added bonus, you get philosophical and theological argument and debate. A really worthwhile film overall.

I find myself in total agreement with BlackMonk. This is the ultimate philosophical love story. It attempts to answer the age-old question: What is the purpose of life? Is it to serve God, as Abelard thought, or to pursue happiness on Earth, as Heloise believed?

The film makers do a brilliant job of setting up the dramatic conflict between these two views of life. The writing, dialogue, direction, and acting are all first rate. This is one of the greatest movies ever made, and one of history's greatest love stories! Kim Thompson should have received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Heloise. She was Heloise.

It amazes me that one little film gimmick, a feather, could be used so brilliantly to help answer one of life's eternal questions. Make sure you pay close attention to the opening scene, one of the greatest scenes in movie history.

Enthralling!