I agree with others who found Visconti's take on the "Monza" story pretentious. My review concerns the butchered version released in dual English-German audio by Alpha Film. It deletes 8 minutes of the original, sanitizing all scenes containing nudity (with the minor exception of a split-second view of a peasant girl's breast in the opening scene). What's left is a dreary melodrama featuring a somewhat wooden portrayal of the villain Gianpaolo Osio (Antonio Sabara) and the endless lamenting of the doomed Sister Virginia (Anne Heywood). The debauched priest, Father Arrigone (Hardy Kruger), also lacks any depth of character - no sense of corruption at all. For a more entertaining retelling of this centuries-old story of scandal and heresy, catch the 1980 Bruno Mattei version, "The True Story of the Nun of Monza" (La vera storia della monaca di Monza) featuring Zora Kerova as the titular nun. And lastly, don't even think about the 2002 "adult" remake, "Die Schwantz-Nonnen von Monza." Yuck!
Review of The Lady of Monza
