The Innocents
Directed by Anne Fontaine
Written by Sabrina B, Karine and Alice Vial
Starring: Lou De Laage, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne
It is 1945 in Poland and a French Red Cross doctor is called on to minister to a convent out in the countryside. A number of the nuns are pregnant, raped by Russian soldiers who still menace the convent and village. It is that the odd year or two before Poland’s fate was completely decided.
The nuns only accept Mathilde’s (De Laage)help when she agrees to keep silent about their condition. Many of the nuns were virgins before their assault and most of them are deeply disturbed about their condition. Some seem not aware of it.
This is a complex look at wartime atrocities. It is beautifully filmed in an austere palette with sacred music throughout. The acting is sublime. There are several surprises to be found here and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Highly recommended. Fontaine perfectly captures the place, the time.
Patti Abbott
