Yo, la peor de todas

This film is an interesting historical piece set in the late 17th century. It is in Spanish and is based on a book by noted Mexican author Octavio Paz, which was itself based on a true story. The story is about Sor Juana, a nun and poet in Spanish Mexico who challenges the theology of the archbishop. In doing so, it also explores the tension between the church and the crown, in this case between the archbishop and the viceroy, who supports Sor Juana. The camera work and use of color, light, and shadow throughout the film sets the mood quite well. While it occasionally seems a little drawn out, in general it is an interesting, effective and entertaining work.

Juana Ines de la Cruz was a woman ahead of her times. She had everything going against her; she was a woman, she had intelligence, and she intimidated the people around her. Everything conspired to make her a target for the higher ups in the Catholic Church in Mexico. The Archbishop wanted to silence her at all costs.

These were the times when the so called Holy Inquisition was an instrument of the Church to get rid of anyone considered heretic, or who would question the dogma. It was a convenient way to get rid of the enemies, as the Catholic Church had such power that no one dared to challenge it.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz wrote some of the best poetry known in the Spanish literature. Her work has survived because of the strength and beauty of her work. Sor Juana was befriended by the Spanish Viceroy and his wife. The virreina, in particular, saw in Juana a kindred spirit. Their relationship had shades of lesbianism, although only a chaste kiss is exchanged between them. When the Medinacellis are recalled home, Sor Juana is left at the mercy of the evil Archbishop who is bent in destroying her. Sor Juana Ines succumbs to the pest that took thousands in her country without being recognized in life for all she gave the world.

Maria Luisa Bemberg, a feminist film maker, puts her stamp in this story by bringing together the influential virreina and Sor Juana, a combination of two strong women who lived during a period of uncertainty in Spain and her colonies in the new world.

Asumpta Serna has some good moments as Juana Ines de la Cruz. Dominique Sanda is also effective playing opposite Ms. Serna as the virreina. Hector Alterio, Lautaro Murua, and the rest of the cast do a good job supporting the principal players. Cecilia Roth's dubbed the voice for Ms. Sanda.

Felix Monti's dark cinematography serves the film well. The film was photographed in a studio, and at times, it looks as though it is a theater set. Ms. Bemberg directed with a sure hand and got a lot out of her cast and crew.

Don't be fooled by the misleading tagline. This is a historical drama. Nothing more. I suspect the tagline was written to try and get more men into the movie, but besides a peck, love letters and shy glances, there isn't much lesbian action in this movie. It is not for people with some sort of lesbo-nun fetish.

That being said, the film should be appreciated as a historical drama. Assumpta Serna does a wonderful job of playing the beautiful, "passionate, ironical" and intelligent Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. As far as I can tell based on my preliminary research, the film is historically accurate, with a few artistic liberties. The film is a film of dialogue - besides some brief scenes of flogging, and sickness in the convent, this is a film mostly about intelligent dialogue, as it should be due to its subject matter. The themes of feminism and the church are well explored and is a good look into the lives of women during the Inquisition of Colonial times.

The movie is well made, although not much money seems to have been spent on sets! It sticks fairly closely to the basic historical data, but a quick read up on Sor Juana in the Encyclopedia Brittanica might help many viewers.

Now to the rating issue. There is no good reason why this movie should be restricted to those over 18 by Amazon and other online merchants. There is no overt nudity or genital sex. There is a fairly chaste kiss between women. I suppose the violent scenes of nuns whipping themsleves in a penitential exercise might be offensive to some, but self-flagellation was indeed a part of Catholic monastic life until well into the 20th century, and the scene is not presented in any prurient way. If this amounts to a need to ban the movie for young people, then the Bible also would need to be banned. It has far more sex, nudity, and violence.

The writers who object to the "Lesbian passion" line on the box do have a point. Anyone buying this for erotic arousal would be profoundly mislead.

There is, however, a real lesbian aspect to this film. Sor Juana is clearly a "woman identified woman." She achieves her greatest triumphs while in the nurturing and all-female world of the Convent; her relationship with the Vicereine is the most heated in the film; and the destruction of her writing comes from the intrusion of the exclusively male world of the church hierarchy and the inquistion. Most importantly, her writing reflects an explicit feminist critique of women's oppression.

Just as one does not need to have genital sex in order to be a "heterosexual," neither does one need genital sex in order to be part of the lesbian continuum. Sor Juana is indeed part of the that continuum.

Who would have guessed that there is a genre out there called nunsploitation. I am not sure what it means, but this film appears to be included.

It is the story of a Mexican nun that was decidedly feminist. You can look up Juana Inés de la Cruz on Wikipedia and it will give you more. Apparently this film is historically accurate according to those I have consulted.

The main thrust of this film is the intense hatred (Can one say fear?) of women by the Church through the ages, which continues to this day. It examines the Inquisition, by which the Church sought to stifle creativity and thinking.

One would do well to know the status of women in the Church at the time to properly understand and enjoy this film. The role of women can be defined: "it is right for (women) to pride themselves on being silent, both those for whom it is convenient to cover up their lack of knowledge, and those who might shamelessly reveal what they know, because in all of them it is not only an agreeable condition, but a proper virtue, to speak little and be silent." Unlike Saint Teresa, Sr Juana is castigated not canonized for the audacity to speak her mind, to seek knowledge, and to think.

If you seek the "lesbian passion behind convent walls" that is on the DVD cover, you will be sorely disappointed. While a lesbian relationship might be strongly suggested between Sr Juana and her noble protectress, it is never overtly expressed with the exception of a kiss that would be considered an "air kiss" compared to the one Phoebe gave Rachel on "Friends." The film was extremely interesting and Assumpta Serna was outstanding as Sr Juana.