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'{{short description|1959 film by Fred Zinnemann}} {{Infobox film | name = The Nun's Story | image = Nun_story.jpg | caption = Original film poster | director = [[Fred Zinnemann]] | producer = [[Henry Blanke]] | based_on = {{based on|''[[The Nun's Story]]''<br>1956 novel|[[Kathryn Hulme]]}} | screenplay = [[Robert Anderson (playwright)|Robert Anderson]] | starring = {{ubl |[[Audrey Hepburn]] |[[Peter Finch]] |[[Edith Evans]] |[[Peggy Ashcroft]] }} | music = [[Franz Waxman]] | cinematography = [[Franz Planer]] | editing = [[Walter A. Thompson|Walter Thompson]] | studio = Warner Bros. | distributor = [[Warner Bros.]] | released = {{Film date|1959|07|18}} | runtime = 149 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $3.5 million<ref name="numbers"/> | gross = $12.8 million<ref name="numbers">[http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Nuns-Story,-The#tab=summary Box Office Information for ''The Nun's Story''.] [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]. Retrieved December 16, 2013.</ref> }} '''''The Nun's Story''''' is a 1959 American [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film directed by [[Fred Zinnemann]] and starring [[Audrey Hepburn]], [[Peter Finch]], [[Edith Evans]], and [[Peggy Ashcroft]]. The screenplay was written by [[Robert Anderson (playwright)|Robert Anderson]], based upon the popular [[The Nun's Story|1956 novel of the same name]] by [[Kathryn Hulme]]. The film tells the life of Sister Luke (Hepburn), a young [[Belgians|Belgian]] woman who decides to enter a [[convent]] and make the many sacrifices required by her choice. The film is a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel, which was based on the life of Belgian nun [[Marie Louise Habets]]. Latter portions of the film were shot on location in the [[Belgian Congo]] and feature Finch as a cynical but caring surgeon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16107/The-Nun-s-Story/articles.html |title=The Nun's Story (1959) |publisher=Turner Classic Movies |accessdate=October 15, 2011}}</ref> ==Plot== Gabrielle "Gaby" Van Der Mal ([[Audrey Hepburn]]), whose father Hubert ([[Dean Jagger]]) is a prominent surgeon in Belgium, enters a convent of nursing sisters in the late 1920s, hoping to serve in the Belgian Congo. After receiving the [[religious name]] of Sister Luke, she undergoes her [[postulant|postulancy]] and [[novitiate]] which foreshadow her future difficulties with the vow of obedience. She takes her first vows and is sent to a school of tropical medicine. hi After passing her courses with high marks, along with some spiritual conflict, she silently resists the Mother Superior's request to purposely fail her final exam as a proof of her humility. Despite finishing fourth in her class, she is not assigned to the Congo but sent to a European mental hospital where she assists with the most difficult and violent cases, wasting her tropical medicine skills. A particularly violent schizophrenic ([[Colleen Dewhurst]]) tricks Sister Luke into opening the cell door in violation of the rules. She attacks Sister Luke, who barely escapes and once again faces the shame of her disobedience. Eventually she takes her [[solemn vow]]s and is sent to her long-desired posting in the Congo. Once there, she is disappointed that she will not be nursing the natives, but will instead work in a segregated whites/European patient hospital. She develops a strained but professional relationship with the brilliant, [[atheist]]ic surgeon there, Dr. Fortunati ([[Peter Finch]]). Eventually, the work strains and spiritual struggles cause her to succumb to tuberculosis. Fortunati, not wanting to lose a competent nurse and sympathetic to her desire to stay in the Congo, engineers a treatment plan that allows her to remain there rather than having to convalesce in Europe. After Sister Luke recovers and returns to work, Fortunati is forced to send her to Belgium as the only nurse qualified to accompany a VIP who has become mentally unstable. She spends an outwardly reflective but inwardly restless period at the motherhouse in [[Brussels]] before the superior general gives her a new assignment. Due to the impending war in Europe, she cannot return to the Congo, and is assigned as a surgical nurse at a local hospital. While at her new assignment, Sister Luke's struggle with obedience becomes impossible for her to sustain, as she is repeatedly forced into compromises to cope with the reality of the Nazi occupation, including that they have killed her father. No longer able to continue as a nun, she requests and is granted a [[Dispensation (canon law)|dispensation]] from her vows. She is last seen changing into lay garb and exiting the convent through a back door. ==Cast== {{div col}} * [[Audrey Hepburn]] as Sister Luke (Gabrielle "Gaby" Van Der Mal) * [[Peter Finch]] as Dr. Fortunati * [[Edith Evans]] as Rev. Mother Emmanuel * [[Peggy Ashcroft]] as Mother Mathilde * [[Dean Jagger]] as Dr. Hubert Van Der Mal * [[Mildred Dunnock]] as Sister Margharita * [[Beatrice Straight]] as Mother Christophe * [[Patricia Collinge]] as Sister William * [[Rosalie Crutchley]] as Sister Eleanor * [[Ruth White (actress)|Ruth White]] as Mother Marcella * [[Barbara O'Neil]] as Mother Didyma * [[Margaret Phillips]] as Sister Pauline * [[Patricia Bosworth]] as Simone * [[Colleen Dewhurst]] as "Archangel Gabriel" * [[Stephen Murray (actor)|Stephen Murray]] as Chaplain (Father Andre) * [[Lionel Jeffries]] as Dr. Goovaerts * [[Niall MacGinnis]] as Father Vermeuhlen * [[Eva Kotthaus]] as Sister Marie * [[Molly Urquhart]] as Sister Augustine * [[Dorothy Alison]] as Sister Aurelie * [[Richard O'Sullivan]] as Pierre Van Der Mal. * [[Jeanette Sterke]] as Louise Van Der Mal * [[Errol John]] as Illunga * [[Orlando Martins]] as Kalulu {{div col end}} == Production == === Pre-production === Fred Zinnemann was introduced to the source material by actor [[Gary Cooper]]. Zinnemann was immediately interested in an adaptation, but there was little traction from studios until Audrey Hepburn expressed her interest.<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last1=Zinnemann |first1=Fred |title=A life in the movies : an autobiography |date=1992 |publisher=Macmillan Publishing Company |location=New York |isbn=0-684-19050-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeinmoviesauto0000zinn }}</ref> The cast and crew included few if any [[Catholics]]. Fred Zinnemann was [[Jewish]]. Audrey Hepburn and Edith Evans were [[Christian Scientists]]. The film's writer, Robert Anderson, was a [[Protestant]], and Peggy Ashcroft was [[Agnostic]].<ref name="auto" /> To ensure accuracy and fidelity, a number of consultants were used. The screenplay was reviewed by the literary editor of ''[[America (magazine)|America]]'', by a panel of Dominican Priests in Rome, and by the [[Los Angeles]] chapter of the [[National Legion of Decency]].<ref name="cath">{{cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=Debra |title=The Nun's Story: Another Look at the Postwar Religious Revival |journal=American Catholic Studies |volume=119 |issue=Winter 2008 |pages=103–108 |jstor=44195197 |year=2008 }}</ref> The production team also corresponded regularly with Kathryn Hulme, the author of the source material. The Kathryn Hulme collection at [[Yale University]] contains 37 of these letters.<ref name="collection">{{cite journal |last1=May |first1=Anne |title=The Kathryn Hulme Collection |journal=The Yale University Library Gazette |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=129–134 |jstor=40858678 |year=1979 }}</ref> Further, the director and many of the actresses in the film spent time in European convents prior to rehearsal and principal photography. Zinnemann describes the Catholic Church as somewhat hesitant at first, in part worried that the film would depict a romantic relationship between Sister Luke and Dr. Fortunati. Once the Church had more confidence in the production, there was a high level of collaboration leading to a high level of preparation that Zinnemann credits for the realism and emotional intensity of the film. Zinnemann also continued his usual practices of collaborating with the film's writer on the second draft of the screenplay (though not receiving a writing credit) and meeting with each major actor for an in-depth discussion of his or her character.<ref name="critint" /> To prepare for her role Audrey Hepburn met with both Hulme and Mary Louise Habets, the inspiration for the novel and film. The three spent a considerable amount of time together, apparently becoming known as "The 3-H Club." Hepburn and Habets had some surprising similarities. Both had Belgian roots and had experienced personal trauma during [[World War II]] including losing touch with their fathers and having their brothers imprisoned by Germans.<ref name="cath" /> Habets later helped nurse Hepburn back to health following her near-fatal horse-riding accident on the set of the 1960 film ''[[The Unforgiven (1960 film)|The Unforgiven]]''. The cast was rounded out by [[Colleen Dewhurst]], making her first screen appearance and Renée Zinnemann, the wife of the director who played the assistant of the Mother Superior (Edith Evans).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16107/The-Nun-s-Story/notes.html |title=The Nun's Story (1959) - Notes |publisher=Turner Classic Movies |accessdate=October 15, 2011}}</ref><ref name="auto" /> === Principal photography === [[File:Brugge Sint-Annarei 22 R01.jpg|thumb|This house on the {{Interlanguage link multi|Sint-Annarei|nl}} in [[Bruges]] was a backdrop of the movie]] The film was shot partially in the then [[Belgian Congo]], now [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] with production based in then [[Kisangani|Stanleyville]], now [[Kisangani]] and some scenes shot in [[Yakusu]], a nearby center of missionary and medical activity where cast and crew met the famous missionary [[Stanley George Browne]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leprosyhistory.org/cgi-bin/showdetails.pl?ID=91&type=Archive |title=Wellcome Library for the History of Medicine & Understanding |publisher=Leprosy History |accessdate=2011-10-25}}</ref> Fred Zinnemann had originally intended to film only the African scenes in color, with Europe rendered in stark black and white.<ref name="cinint">{{cite journal |last1=Zinnemann |first1=Fred |last2=Neve |first2=Brian |title=A Past Master of His Craft: An Interview with Fred Zinnemann |journal=Cinéaste |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=15–19 |jstor=41688984 |year=1997 }}</ref> There was originally a scene towards the end of the film depicting three men endangered by quicksand and rapidly rising water, but it was never filmed due to adverse conditions.<ref name="critint" /> Interior scenes for the Belgian portions of the film were shot in [[Rome]] at [[Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia]] and [[Cinecittà]] on sets designed by [[Alexandre Trauner]].<ref name="auto" /> Extras for these scenes were recruited from the ballet corps of the Rome Opera company. Zinnemann wanted actors who would be capable of precise and coordinated movement.<ref name="cinint" /> Belgian exteriors were shot on location in [[Bruges]] although the novel took place in [[Ghent]].<ref name="auto" /> ===Post-production=== According to Zinnemann, composer [[Franz Waxman]]'s dislike of the Catholic Church was a conspicuous influence on early drafts of the score. This is part of the reason why the final scene has no score, an uncommon stylistic choice for the era.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Phillips |first1=Gene |title=Waxing Silent |journal=Film Comment |year=1999 |volume=35 |issue=3 |page=2 |jstor=43455378 }}</ref> Regardless of Waxman's work, Zinnemann had always wanted the film to end in silence.<ref name="cinint" /><ref name="critint">{{cite journal |last1=Zinnemann |first1=Fred |last2=Nolletti Jr. |first2=Alfred |title=Conversation with Fred Zinnemann |journal=Film Criticism |volume=18/19 |issue=3/1 |pages=7–29 |jstor=44076035 |year=1994 }}</ref> The original theatrical trailer for the film contains a brief shot of Gabrielle and her father sitting at a cafe. The shot is an excerpt from a scene that was removed from the final cut. The scene is alluded to in the final film when Dr. Van Der Mal mentions a restaurant reservation at the beginning of the film. Zinnemann removed the scene because he felt it was redundant and hindered the pace of the film's opening.<ref name="critint" /> ==Awards and honors== The film was nominated for eight [[32nd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]] including [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress in a Leading Role]] (Audrey Hepburn); [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography, Color]]; [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]; [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]; [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]]; [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]; [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound]] ([[George Groves (sound engineer)|George Groves]]); and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium]].<ref name="Oscars1960">{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1960 |title=The 32nd Academy Awards (1960) Nominees and Winners |accessdate=2011-08-21 |work=oscars.org}}</ref> The film was recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in 2005 as a nominee for [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |date= |accessdate=2016-08-14}}</ref> and in 2006 as a nominee for [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers300.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees |date= |accessdate=2016-08-14}}</ref> ==Reception== ''The Nun's Story'' carries a 93% favorable rating on review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 15 reviews. ''The Nun's Story'' was a major box office success in its day. Produced on a budget of $3.5 million, it grossed $12.8 million at the domestic box office,<ref name="numbers"/> earning $6.3 million in US [[Gross rental|theatrical rentals]].<ref>"1959: Probable Domestic Take", ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', January 6, 1960 p 34.</ref> ''The Nun's Story'' was considered, for a time, to be the most financially successful of Hepburn's films and the one the actress often cited as her favorite. ''The Nun's Story'' received its first official North American DVD release on April 4, 2006. The story behind the book and film was the subject of ''The Belgian Nurse'', a radio play by Zoe Fairbairns, broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]] on January 13, 2007. According to correspondences in the Kathryn Hulme collection at Yale University, both Mary Louise Habets and Kathryn Hulme were pleased with the film and its success.<ref name="collection" /> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0053131|title=The Nun's Story}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|id=nuns_story|title=The Nun's Story}} * {{Amg movie|35819|The Nun's Story}} * {{tcmdb title|id=16107}} * {{AFI film|id=52977|title=The Nun's Story}} {{Fred Zinnemann}} {{Golden Shell}} {{National Board of Review Award for Best Film}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nun's Story, The}} [[Category:1959 films]] [[Category:1959 drama films]] [[Category:American films]] [[Category:American drama films]] [[Category:English-language films]] [[Category:Films about Catholic nuns]] [[Category:Films based on American novels]] [[Category:Films set in the 1920s]] [[Category:Films set in 1930]] [[Category:Films set in Belgium]] [[Category:Films set in Belgian Congo]] [[Category:Films shot in Bruges]] [[Category:Warner Bros. films]] [[Category:Films directed by Fred Zinnemann]] [[Category:Films scored by Franz Waxman]] [[Category:Nuns in fiction]] [[Category:Films about nurses]]'