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Product Description
One of the landmarks of Polish cinema, this celebrated film has now been fully and carefully restored from original materials and is presented here in this beautiful new High-Definition transfer.
Based on the documented story of the demonic possession of a group of nuns that led to the burning of a priest at the stake in Loudun, France in 1634 (which also formed the basis for Ken Russell s notorious 1971 film The Devils and provided inspiration to Aldous Huxley for his renowned novel The Devils of Loudun). In acclaimed director Jerzy Kawalerowicz s hands Mother Joan of the Angels is a spare, visually astonishing and profoundly disturbing exploration of faith, repression, fanaticism and sexuality. Aided by an extraordinary performance by Lucyna Winnicka as Mother Joan, Kawalerowicz produces one of cinema s most evocative and intense studies of the tragedy of emotion repressed by dogma.
EXTRAS
New filmed appreciation by Michael Brooke
Booklet essays
From the Contributor
Visually this film is a masterpiece. Spooky and haunting it is an exemplar of how, in filmmaking, less can be so much more.
Having received the Jury Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, "Mother Joan of the Angels" does not fall into that category of ‘lost’ films. However, it is certainly a film that deserves a much better reputation and a wider viewing public. Yes, it does contain exorcism, flagellation and murder but it is the opposite of "The Devils" Ken Russell’s overblown (though wonderful) take on the same story . "Mother Joan" is a quieter, more subdued film and all the more effective for that. Any fan of classics of the strange such as "Nosferatu" and "Witchfinder General" should find much to enjoy in "Mother Joan of the Angels".
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A film that manages to show the way in which faith, superstition and fanaticism can mix...
7 Mar 2008
By M. B. Alcat
Format:DVD
"Mother Joan of the Angels" (= "Matka Jonna od Aniolow") is a strange 1961 film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, that manages to show the way in which faith, superstition and fanaticism can mix.
The story that this film tells is set in 17th century Poland, and it is, to say the least, unusual. The main character is Father Suryn (Mieczyslaw Voit), a priest that arrives to a convent in order to exorcise a group of nuns possessed by the demon. Their leader is the abbess, Mother Joan (Lucyna Winnicka), a beautiful young woman that seems to embrace the choice of being possessed by the demon, given that she is aware that she cannot be a saint, and would rather be damned than like everybody else. Father Suryn begins to care too much for her, having his faith tested while he strives to save the nuns and not lose his soul in the process.
Even though this film is loosely based on real facts, I think that its real power comes from the subjective way in which the director chose to tell it. When you finish watching this powerful movie, you don't know whether you liked it or not, but you are sure that "Mother Joan of the Angels" is an enduring work of art worth-seeing. Recommended...
Belen Alcat
The story that this film tells is set in 17th century Poland, and it is, to say the least, unusual. The main character is Father Suryn (Mieczyslaw Voit), a priest that arrives to a convent in order to exorcise a group of nuns possessed by the demon. Their leader is the abbess, Mother Joan (Lucyna Winnicka), a beautiful young woman that seems to embrace the choice of being possessed by the demon, given that she is aware that she cannot be a saint, and would rather be damned than like everybody else. Father Suryn begins to care too much for her, having his faith tested while he strives to save the nuns and not lose his soul in the process.
Even though this film is loosely based on real facts, I think that its real power comes from the subjective way in which the director chose to tell it. When you finish watching this powerful movie, you don't know whether you liked it or not, but you are sure that "Mother Joan of the Angels" is an enduring work of art worth-seeing. Recommended...
Belen Alcat
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By HJ
Format:DVD
An inexperienced priest is sent in to perform an exorcism on the mother superior - with violent & tragic results.
Another long neglected cult classic of Eastern European cinema resurrected by the excellent Second Run DVD label. The story is based on the Loudon case which has fascinated many writers, artists & film makers, notably Ken Russell's infamous 1970s movie The Devils. Mother Joan, being a Polish film from 1960, is rather less lurid than The Devils but may have influenced Russell and possibly Friedkin's Exorcist too. However it should be stressed that, although still shocking and disturbing, Mother Joan is a very austere black & white art-house film & the best comparison would be with Bergman's medievalist epics such as Seventh Seal & Virgin Spring. Cinematically Mother Joan is a great film, beautifully shot & acted, but I'm not sure how seriously to take it - while not exactly "nunsploitation" it teeters on the edge of kitsch - if you are a fan of mad nun movies, from Back Narcissus on, you should check this out! The director claimed it was an allegory of sexual repression (ie Freudian & anti-Catholic) but you can't help but wonder whether it is also an allegory of Polish communism. The DVD includes booklet with informative essay & carries apologies for the very grainy film print but that didn't bother me - just added to the grainy medieval ambience!
Another long neglected cult classic of Eastern European cinema resurrected by the excellent Second Run DVD label. The story is based on the Loudon case which has fascinated many writers, artists & film makers, notably Ken Russell's infamous 1970s movie The Devils. Mother Joan, being a Polish film from 1960, is rather less lurid than The Devils but may have influenced Russell and possibly Friedkin's Exorcist too. However it should be stressed that, although still shocking and disturbing, Mother Joan is a very austere black & white art-house film & the best comparison would be with Bergman's medievalist epics such as Seventh Seal & Virgin Spring. Cinematically Mother Joan is a great film, beautifully shot & acted, but I'm not sure how seriously to take it - while not exactly "nunsploitation" it teeters on the edge of kitsch - if you are a fan of mad nun movies, from Back Narcissus on, you should check this out! The director claimed it was an allegory of sexual repression (ie Freudian & anti-Catholic) but you can't help but wonder whether it is also an allegory of Polish communism. The DVD includes booklet with informative essay & carries apologies for the very grainy film print but that didn't bother me - just added to the grainy medieval ambience!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A. S. Potts
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well, it's finally here, having been lost in the black hole of my local sorting office for nearly two weeks. I'd been chomping at the bit for this one to arrive because I'd just watched Night Train from the Polish Cinema Classics box set and was highly impressed. Previously, and without any knowledge of the directors work I'd been attracted to the subject matter of Mother Joan of the Angels but was put off by the well known poor quality of the source material of Second Run's original 2005 release.
So, the first thing to say is how very impressive is the quality of this new restoration. Michael Brooke is right to point out in a comment to one of the other reviews that it, and indeed all three reviews, refer to the previous release and not to the restoration. I'm surprised to find that I'm the first to comment on this excellent new package.
To start in reverse order, as it were, and because I've already mentioned MichaelB I will point out the exceptionally good booklet and his forensically researched and apparently effortlessly concise biography of the directors life and works. Full marks, sir! Equally distinguished is Dr Sorfa's analysis of the Loudun source material and the other artistic works it has inspired.
Next comes MichaelB's appreciation, a 21 minute video, liberally illustrated with film clips. This kind of appetite wetter has always appealed to me as a warm up act to the main event, but this one carries a 'spoiler warning' because it reveals many key scenes. Such concerns have never bothered me since a detailed understanding or knowledge of the content of a film has never diminished my experience of seeing a film itself.... Read more ›
So, the first thing to say is how very impressive is the quality of this new restoration. Michael Brooke is right to point out in a comment to one of the other reviews that it, and indeed all three reviews, refer to the previous release and not to the restoration. I'm surprised to find that I'm the first to comment on this excellent new package.
To start in reverse order, as it were, and because I've already mentioned MichaelB I will point out the exceptionally good booklet and his forensically researched and apparently effortlessly concise biography of the directors life and works. Full marks, sir! Equally distinguished is Dr Sorfa's analysis of the Loudun source material and the other artistic works it has inspired.
Next comes MichaelB's appreciation, a 21 minute video, liberally illustrated with film clips. This kind of appetite wetter has always appealed to me as a warm up act to the main event, but this one carries a 'spoiler warning' because it reveals many key scenes. Such concerns have never bothered me since a detailed understanding or knowledge of the content of a film has never diminished my experience of seeing a film itself.... Read more ›
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Matka Jonna od Aniolow" (Mother Joan of the Angels) is a creepy film about exorcism in the 17th century. A convent of nuns is troubled by demonic possession, including the Mother Superior, who is possessed by eight demons. The four local priest/exorcists summon the help of another priest specializing in exorcism to help them. What he finds at the convent will be the test of his lifetime as he tries to help them.
The priest feels sympathetic and concern for helping others, but his efforts to exercise the demons are not instantly successful. In his labors, he begins to develop affection for Mother Joan. The priest begins a journey of self-reflection and brings us along on his meditative search for meaning. My favorite part of this search was when he consults a Rabbi, and their philosophical discussion that follows. The way I interpreted the deeper meaning of this movie was that love is the answer.
The fact that "Matka Jonna od Aniolow" (1960) was made in black and white gives it an intensely creepy feeling. There isn't anything gruesome shown, but the nature of the story itself, the spooky feeling of the convent, and the behavior of the possessed nuns create an amazing effect of uneasiness. One could easily place the film in the category of horror based on the suspenseful nature of the film. "Matka Jonna od Aniolow" is an intriguing story and a work of art.
The priest feels sympathetic and concern for helping others, but his efforts to exercise the demons are not instantly successful. In his labors, he begins to develop affection for Mother Joan. The priest begins a journey of self-reflection and brings us along on his meditative search for meaning. My favorite part of this search was when he consults a Rabbi, and their philosophical discussion that follows. The way I interpreted the deeper meaning of this movie was that love is the answer.
The fact that "Matka Jonna od Aniolow" (1960) was made in black and white gives it an intensely creepy feeling. There isn't anything gruesome shown, but the nature of the story itself, the spooky feeling of the convent, and the behavior of the possessed nuns create an amazing effect of uneasiness. One could easily place the film in the category of horror based on the suspenseful nature of the film. "Matka Jonna od Aniolow" is an intriguing story and a work of art.
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