Nun's the Word

[setsuled]

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What do you get for the Devil who has everything? The final film of Hammer Studios (before their relaunch decades later) was 1976's To the Devil a Daughter. Its remarkable cast includes a late career Richard Widmark, Nastassja Kinski in her first role, Denholm Elliott, and Christopher Lee. This month, Criterion features the film on a Nunsploitation playlist but I wouldn't call it a Nunsploitation movie as much as a Satanic possession movie in which one character happens to sort of be a nun. It's not an especially bad movie if you can't watch Rosemary's Baby or The Exorcist.

I find my opinion of the film has not changed since I reviewed it in 2012. I didn't find it as confusing this time since I remembered the basic plot from my previous viewing but the film's tendency not to let the viewer in on character motives still has the effect of nullifying the suspense.

I didn't remark last time on how much I like the Satanic cult's Ashtaroth crucifix.



It looks silly, yes, but I don't think that was an accident. It's a parody of a proper crucifix. There is something fundamentally satanic about parody. It's a mockery.

It is kind of disappointing having Ashtaroth without it being Astarte, the apocryphal Queen of Heaven. That would've given the film an interesting spin.

Lee and Elliott give the best performances in the film. Widmark seems a bit checked out. Kinski was very young and not the actress she would become in a few years but she comes across as very sweet and of course very pretty.