Castigata – Die Gezüchtigte (1974)

Castigata – Die Gezüchtigte: Directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi. With Florinda Bolkan, María Casares, Claudio Cassinelli, Anthony Higgins. During the late Middle Ages, a young woman who’s been forced to become a nun by her corrupt father teams up with an army of Muslims who are invading the area, to destroy the convent and kill everyone who wronged her.

“Too many sources routinely lump this thought-provoking period drama in part based on historical fact together with the superficially similar u0026quot;nunsploitationu0026quot; which was a mainstay in u0026#39;70s Euro trash cinema, overlooking the righteous anger that drives the whole endeavor. Perhaps coincidentally it was also director Gianfranco Mingozziu0026#39;s singular attempt at narrative film-making outside of many well-received documentaries.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSafely set within a historical context, FLAVIA charts the growing rebellion of an early 15th century Italian nun (Florinda Bolkanu0026#39;s career performance, even surpassing her sterling work in Lucio Fulciu0026#39;s devastating DONu0026#39;T TORTURE A DUCKLING), locked away in convent by her not so nobleman father in a desperate attempt to curb the girlu0026#39;s budding sensuous nature. Wondering why women are relegated to secondary roles at best in life as in holy scripture, she is confronted by ways in which male domination can rupture female lives, inspiring revolt fueled by the ranting of semi-crazed older Sister Agatha (indelibly portrayed by veteran actress Maria Casarès from Marcel Carnéu0026#39;s LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS) and – more constructively – by a Muslim invasion. Joining the oppressors and perhaps unwittingly manipulating them to do her bidding, Flavia truly becomes the outcast she already felt herself to be, with expected tragic results.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith its breathtaking widescreen compositions by Alfio Contini, who shot Michelangelo Antonioniu0026#39;s ZABRISKIE POINT, this is an uncompromising and austere account of one womanu0026#39;s fierce yet ultimately futile fight against patriarchal society which allotted her no rights beyond childbearing or whoring as Sister Agatha wryly remarks. A lengthy drug-induced fantasy sequence clearly modeled on Ken Russellu0026#39;s otherwise far more flamboyant DEVILS notwithstanding, the movie turns out relatively stingy in the skin department, making something of a mockery out of its semi-porn reputation. This is a serious work deserving rediscovery and restoration of its unjustly tarnished reputation.”