A french priest, Donissan, is at odds with himself and his faith. Emotionally tortured, Donissan confides in his superiors, who encourage his faith, which does little to help Donissan's tortured soul. Maurice Pialat wastes no time in establishing this man's mental anguish with one of the first scenes showing Donissan flagellating himself with a chain in an attempt to rid himself of these unsavory thoughts/desires. Under the Sun of Satan is a challenging, complex piece of filmmaking that captures the struggle between Good and Evil through this priest's internal struggle. I don't think I have ever seen a film that better captures an internal struggle in a dynamic, emotionally affective way. I found myself completely glued to the screen watching Gerard Depardieu as Donissan. The main story-arch in the film revolves around Donissan's attempt to save the soul of Mouchette, a troubled 16-year old, who is the mistress of a married politician and pregnant with a nobleman's child. These two characters create a perfectly balanced dichotomy for the story- Mouchette coming to accept the fact that she is evil while Donissan struggles to ward off these evil forces fighting for his soul. A slow-paced meditative film that's haunting, subdued atmosphere aids in creating a truly poignant film the relationship of Good and Evil. 10/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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