Mother Joan of the Angels (1961) - Jerzy Kawalerowicz

Taking place in 17th century Poland at a remote convent in the countryside, Jerzy Kawalerowicz's Mother Joan of the Angels tells the story of a group of nuns that along with their mother superior, Joanna, are believed to be possessed by demons.  While four priests have already attempted to banish the evil spirits unsuccessfully, with two being burned at the stake themselves for impregnating the mother superior, the arrival of Suryn, an extremely devout priest, offers new hope for the small community who simply wants to be freed from these demonic forces.  When Suryn's typical measures of prayer and mortification have little to no effect, he becomes riddled with anxiety, while simultaneously feeling the pull of desire for the mother superior that threatens to shatter his entire worldview.  Jerzy Kawalerowicz's Mother Joan of Angels is a powerful, albeit challenging film that sets its sights on the fallacies of religion, examining the fear and repression associated with religion while simultaneously using it to explore both philosophical and theological issues as it pertains to the human psyche and existence.  A film I would classify as a slow burn, Kawalerowicz takes his time building the tension of his story early on, building up the facade of demonic possession and danger, as he uses the chatter and speculation of the local townsfolk to create a sense of dread.  There is a lot to interpret and while I'm sure I didn't grasp everything Kawalerowicz was trying to say on a first viewing, the film's deconstruction of human nature is fascinating, as it argues that man's creation of religion is essentially a bi-product of our need to equate evil and wrongdoing with some otherworldly force when in reality humanity itself is capable of much darkness.  Sexual repression certainly feels like an aspect of the film as well, but another thing that stood out to me about Mother Joan of Angels is how it captures the suffrage of woman.  Intentional or not, woman throughout this film are very much treated as second-class members of society, almost as if the film is arguing that it's the fate of women to suffer under the harsh, possessive nature of male-dominated society.  While this concept might be stretch to a lot of viewers, there are aspects of this that stand out, like the Nun who falls in love with the Merchant only to be discarded at the drop of a dime, to Joanna being viewed as a demonic presence due to the sexual attraction felt by nearly every priest who has tried to exorcise her "demon".  Technically speaking, Mother Joan of Angels features stunning black and white photography which fits the film perfectly, as Kawalerowicz routinely contrasts the white and black imagery as a symbolic representation of darkness and light, often juxtaposing these high contrast black-and-white colors to offer insights into the true nature of what is going on around us.  The camera work itself is very impressive, with Kawalerowicz showing an ability to pick his moments to great effect, using extreme closeups at precisely the right moments, which evoke a true sense of dread, despair, terror, or panic.  The camera movements themselves, used to especially great effect during the possession sequences, evoke a great sense of chaos that is felt by the viewer.  On that note I'd be re-missed if I didn't specifically mention the phenomenal performance by Lucyna Winnicka, as Joanna, whose unhinged mannerisms and stoic eyes evoke a true sense of terror, like one is simply staring into the abyss.  Artistically crafted with high contrast black and white imagery and a beautiful understanding of expressive camera movements, Jerzy Kawalerowicz' Mother Joan of Angels uses symbolism and beautiful imagery to deliver a hearty and complex examination of humanity.

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