Les amours interdites d'une religieuse

A young woman (Paloa Senatore), who is involved in an incestuous affair with her uncle, is sent to a convent and quickly realizes it is a hotbed of carnal lust. While she is sleeping her first night and having an erotic dream about her a uncle, another young nun comes in and performs oral sex on her! Then the young nun is caught coming out of her room by the Mother Superior, who takes her off to another room and whips her (naked, of course), which leads to yet another lesbian scene. And this is BEFORE they all get possessed by Satan! The satanic possession involves a creepy statue of a grinning satyr and a mysterious injured man they let convalesce in the convent (and his idea of convalescing is to screw all the nubile initiates and try to do the same to the Mother Superior). Too late, the church tries to intervene.

This is kind of a supernatural "Exorcist"-influenced "nunsploitation" movie, perhaps closer to insane Mexican nun films like "Alucarda" and "Satanic Pandemonium" or Jess Franco's off-the-wall version of "Love Letters of a Portugese Nun" than it is to the earlier more serious Italian nun films. It's also a Joe D'Amato film, so it has great cinematography, even better music, and, of course, a WHOLE lot of sleazy sex. There might actually be TOO MUCH sex. (I like sex in movies the same way I like salt on my food, but D'Amato has a way of taking the top of the salt shaker and just pouring the whole thing on). There's even a brief hardcore sequence,which is not that graphic, but it's a rape sequence where one nun (Marina Hedman) is accosted by randy highwaymen. This scene is potentially offensive,but only if you can buy hardcore porn star Hedman (who looks like fifty miles of rough road) as an innocent virgin.

Paola Senatore is prettier and a much better actress than Hedman (she too did one hardcore film some years later when she was allegedly hooked on heroin in real life and several months pregnant--but even I'm not depraved enough to want to see that). She has a rebellious and particularly ambiguous character, who might or might not be in league with the satanic forces. The satanic forces themselves are pretty ambiguous (it could just be the group hysteria of the nuns). But in the end D'Amato goes for the sleazy nun sex and doesn't delve too much into this. This could have been better, but it's OK guess

This is a well shot, good looking erotic outing from Mr D'Amato making full use of his convent setting and realistic looking nun costumerie. There is a good old mix here of sex action, mainly but not exclusively girl on girl. Pretty explicit and suddenly, surprisingly hardcore for, of all things, the double rape in the woods. A story of sorts but this is really much as you would expect from nunsploitation but with just a bit more style and variation than usual. Slows just a tiny bit when the wizened little 'man of God' turns up to exorcise the place but we are soon storming to a super finale as the poor man walks the corridors splashing his holy water whilst the girls are inside their rooms making their own little splashes. In fact so carried away do they get that they are soon chasing after the little chap in various stages of undress eager to get him stripped off, God or no God!

During the 70's sleazy cycle numerous short lived sub-genres popped up to turn heads and enrage moralists every where. None were quite as offensive as nunsploitation and no nunsploitation was as trashy as this.

At a convent in Italy, a man arrives and the nuns begin feeling urges against their calling. It soon becomes clear that the devil has come and the nuns are under his control.

Though the plot suggests some exorcist-style horror, the film plays out much more like a quiet drama. A drama that includes oodles of explicit sexual activity. As the nuns fall into depravity the sexual stakes begin to rise. Of the assorted sored acts, viewers get to see some whippings, rape, oral sex, masturbation, hetero and homo couplings.

For a D'amato flick, it's surprisingly well made. Camera angles, lighting, pacing are all fairly good. Even the scripting and acting are better than the norm. So well is it made that I find myself wishing that all D'amato flicks looked this quality.

On a side note, it's interesting that with the exception of a short fellatio bit the hetero scenes are strictly soft-core while the lesbian scenes are fully explicit.

A well constructed piece of erotica, if one can get past the sacrilegious content.

7/10

Set within the cloistered confines of a convent, the film explores themes of forbidden desire, sin, and the supernatural. The nuns, portrayed by an ensemble cast, find themselves entangled in a web of lust and eerie occurrences that challenge their faith and morality. D'Amato's direction creates an atmosphere thick with tension and sensuality, making the convent setting both a place of repression and hidden passions.

The cinematography is one of the film's stronger points. The use of lighting and shadow plays a crucial role in establishing the mood, with candlelit scenes and dark corridors enhancing the sense of mystery and intrigue. The soundtrack, a mix of haunting melodies and period-appropriate music, further immerses the audience in the film's unique atmosphere.

However, Immagini di un convento is not without its shortcomings. The plot often feels secondary to the film's erotic elements, resulting in a narrative that lacks depth and coherence. The characters, while intriguing in their initial setup, are not fully developed, leaving their motivations and transformations somewhat superficial. The balance between the thriller and erotic aspects is uneven, with the latter sometimes overshadowing the former to the detriment of the story.

The performances are a mixed bag as well. Some actors deliver compelling portrayals that draw the viewer in, while others appear wooden and detached, detracting from the overall impact of the film. Additionally, certain scenes intended to shock or titillate may come across as gratuitous or exploitative, which could alienate some viewers.

In conclusion, Immagini di un convento is an atmospheric and visually striking film that struggles to maintain a consistent and engaging narrative. Its blend of eroticism and thriller elements offers moments of intrigue and intensity but ultimately fails to coalesce into a satisfying whole. Fans of Joe D'Amato's work and those interested in 1970s erotic cinema may find it worth a watch, but it may not appeal to a broader audience seeking a more balanced and coherent thriller.

Images in a Convent (1979)

*** (out of 4)

Joe D'Amato's notorious nunploitation film is considered by many to be the most disgusting and brutal. At a local convent nuns find themselves possessed by Satan, which soon gives them the temptation of sex. As is to be expected, this film certainly delivers in the nudity/sex department, although it never gets too hardcore and the reputation is a tad bit misleading because this is actually a fairly well made film. D'Amato, who also served as the DP, makes the budget look a lot higher than it actually is and the story is entertaining, or at least the sexual nuns are. Not nearly as trashy as some of its ilk.