Cinema: Stubbed Footnote

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The scandal of The Lady of Monza is scarcely worth a footnote in the history of the 17th century church—or in the annals of cinema. An aristocratic nun of Monza, Italy (Anne Heywood), is raped by the villainous landowner Gian Paolo (Antonio Sabato). Behold, she likes it —as do many of her colleagues in the convent. Soon Gian Paolo and the priest, Don Arrigoni (Hardy Kruger), are enjoying the favors of novices, nuns and the prioress. In the denouement the nun of Monza, for her sins, is sealed alive in a dungeon. So was the incident at Monza until the Archbishop of Milan—now Pope Paul VI—helped unlock 347-year-old church records in 1957 to reveal the scandal. Perhaps the fate was too harsh for the lady—or for her chronicles—but it is the kind that this dubbed and sluggish adaptation deserves.