Emmanuelle et les Collégiennes

"Suor Emanuelle" (1977) is an intriguing yet flawed exploration of the human psyche, cloaked in the alluring and controversial garb of a nun's habit. Directed by Giuseppe Vari, this film dares to tread where many would falter, delving into the murky waters of religious fervor, carnal desires, and existential angst.

At its core, "Suor Emanuelle" follows the titular character, Sister Emanuelle, portrayed with a compelling mix of innocence and seduction by Laura Gemser. Emanuelle's journey is one of inner conflict, as she grapples with her vows and the magnetic pull of forbidden passions. Gemser's performance is a highlight, bringing depth to a character that could have easily been reduced to a mere stereotype.

The film's narrative is a patchwork of evocative scenes and jarring transitions. While some moments resonate with raw emotional power, others feel disjointed, leaving viewers scrambling to connect the dots. Vari's direction, though ambitious, sometimes falters in maintaining a cohesive tone. The cinematography oscillates between the sublime and the risqué, capturing the lush beauty of the Italian countryside alongside provocative, and occasionally gratuitous, depictions of Emanuelle's struggle.

One cannot overlook the film's audacious use of eroticism. While it aims to challenge and provoke, it often teeters on the edge of exploitation. The delicate balance between artistic expression and sensationalism is a tightrope that "Suor Emanuelle" walks precariously. For some, this will be a bold exploration of taboo themes; for others, it may come across as unnecessarily indulgent.

The supporting cast delivers a mixed bag of performances. Some, like Monica Zanchi as Sister Anna, provide a robust counterpoint to Emanuelle's turmoil, while others fade into the background, their characters underdeveloped and their motivations unclear. The screenplay, penned by Maria Pia Fusco and Mario Gariazzo, is laden with philosophical musings and theological debates that, while intellectually stimulating, sometimes bog down the narrative momentum.

The film's soundtrack, an eclectic mix of haunting melodies and discordant notes, mirrors the tumultuous journey of its protagonist. It enhances the atmosphere, pulling the audience deeper into the labyrinth of Emanuelle's mind.

In conclusion, "Suor Emanuelle" is a film that swings for the fences but only occasionally hits its mark. It is a bold, imperfect work that will undoubtedly spark conversation and contemplation. For those willing to embrace its imperfections and delve into its provocative themes, it offers a unique cinematic experience. However, its uneven execution and occasional descent into excess prevent it from achieving the greatness it aspires to.

Monica (Mónica Zanchi) is a very naughty girl. She gets caught with her young stepmother (Dirce Funari) - "But, dad, you told me to be friends with her!" - and is sent off to boarding school run by nuns. One nun in particular is Sister Emanuelle (Laura Gemser, a veteran of many "Emanuelle" films).

Monica proceeds to seduce her roommate(Vinja Locatelli), sets up an escaped criminal (Gabriele Tinti) in the tower, and tricks Sister Emanuelle into breaking her vowels as she lies and schemes.

The sex is hot and heavy - schoolgirl on schoolgirl, criminal on schoolgirl, and criminal on nun. There isn't much to distract from the sex as there is little else going on.

It's a good story with a really funny twist at the end.

Everyone's favorite nymphet has renounced her deviant sexual past and has become a nun. Emanuelle travels to Venice to meet with a wealthy Baron. The Baron has become enraged with his daughter (Monika) who was caught having an affair with her stepmother. He asks Emanuelle to bring his perverse teenage daughter back to her convent. Doesn't this already sound like the greatest film ever made? It's definitely one of the best Emanuelle films ever made. What a perfect place for the Emanuelle character to end up in - a convent. And what a great direction for this series to take - Emanuelle turns to God. But Emanuelle isn't sure if she wants God in her heart; Emanuelle becomes seduced by the teenage girl. On top of all this sexual tension, Emanuelle and Monika take in an escaped murderer; they both fall in love with him and hide him out inside the convent. This also has to be one of the funniest Emanuelle films in the series. For example: one of the nuns in the convent has a bladder problem. One-night Emanuelle showers and runs threw the halls of the convent; however when Sister Superior finds water all over the floors she blames the sister with the bladder problem – ha ha! On a final note: Laura Gemser is as beautiful as ever. Gemser is to the Emanuelle series what Sean Connery is to the James Bond series – "simply the best!"

There is a lot of variety in the Emanuelle series, and as such; a lot of strange and rather silly ideas; but having Laura Gemser dressed up as a nun and living in a convent is surely one of the silliest! I'd even go as far as to say that this plot could be considered blasphemous! Clearly, this film is just an attempt by director Giuseppe Vari to cash in on both the Emanuelle series and the nunsploitation wave in one fell swoop, and as is the case with a lot of the Emanuelle flicks; the only thing that really ties this film to the rest of the series is the lovely leading lady, Laura Gemser. Apparently, Emanuelle has decided to renounce her shady past and has taken up residency inside a convent. She is given the task of looking after the young and beautiful Monica; a girl who was dropped off at the convent by her wealthy father. However, it's not long before the young girl's outlook on life begins to rub off on the previously promiscuous "nun" and Emanuelle begins to question whether or not being a woman of God is actually a suitable career path...

In the context of the rest of the series, and considering that there is no explanation for Emanuelle's sudden change of attitude, it has to be said that the plot line featured in this film is absurdly ridiculous. However, the film clearly isn't meant to be looked at that way and as a stand alone nunsploitation flick; Sister Emanuelle is excellent, and by far my favourite of the ten or so Emanuelle flicks that I've seen. The film does represent a real change of pace for the series as for most of the film; Emanuelle is retracted to a nun's habit and doesn't feature in as many sex scenes as we're used to. That isn't a big problem, however, as this time Laura Gemser is joined by the beautiful Swiss actress Mónica Zanchi, who pretty much takes up the lead role. Unlike most Emanuelle films also, this one actually has a couple of themes going on; namely, the corruption of innocence, and judging by the ambiguous ending, there also seems to be something in there about how a person like Emanuelle is not going to be able to abandon what it is she stands for. Overall, this is a very good little film and comes highly recommended to both Emanuelle fans and exploitation fans in general!

Granted, I can't claim to be a fan of the "Emanuelle" movies really, but I have seen a number of them over the years, whenever I had a chance to watch one. But it is not like I have been actively chasing after the movie in order to get to watch them. Yeah, I am not really all that keen on the exploitation genre.

But as luck would have it, then I had the opportunity to sit down in 2022 and watch the 1977 Italian "Suor Emanuelle" (aka "Sister Emanuelle") movie from writers Gerolamo Collogno, Mario Gariazzo, Ambrogio Molteni and Marino Onorati. I wasn't really harboring much of any expectations to the movie, but did sit down to watch it with an open mind and a clean slate.

As it turned out, then director Giuseppe Vari actually delivered a movie that wasn't all that bad. Sure, it was the usual type of mundane nudity and attempts of being a semi-erotic movie, but in comparison to many of the other "Emanuelle" movies I have seen, then this one was actually watchable.

For me it was the nun and cloister aspect to the storyline that actually made the different, plus the fact that it felt like the writers had actually put in an effort to make "Suor Emanuelle" more than just another archetypical "Emanuelle" movie.

And of course it is good to see Laura Gemser in the role of Emanuelle, as she single-handedly has embodied that particular role and made it hers and hers alone.

If you enjoy the exploitation genre then "Suor Emanuelle" is actually a step up the ladder and is worth checking out, if you haven't already done so.

My rating of the 1977 "Suor Emanuelle" lands on a five out of ten stars.