Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun

very good

This is a bad bad movie. Poor acting, poor dialogue, and very poor production values!

This film was originally released in Germany to as “Die Liebesbriefe einer portugiesischen Nonne” and as “Cartas de amor a una monja portugesa” in Spain (1977). As some of you might guess, this film was another collaboration between Spanish director Jess Franco and German producer Erwin Dietrich. I tend to split Fanco films into typically bad (bad acting, non sense transition between scenes, too gratuitous sex situations, bad scenery and lighting) and good. While the "good" category of films is a rather limited pool, this film fits that category. Here we have a drama, with a relatively original story, with good acting by the main characters, a nice natural setting (shot in an abbey in Portugal), and nice customs. To that you add bits of exploitation, and lots of sexuality (simulated or softcore). Yet, you don’t have the typical "all women walking around naked element here.In the plot, teen aged Maria (played by Susan Hemingway) is forced into Serra D'Aires convent, secretly run by Satanists led by Father Vicente (William Berger) in collusion with the Mother Superior (Ana Zanatti). Maria is tortured, forced into sex with father Vicente, and with a horned Devil. Eventually, she falls into the hands of the Inquisition, and condemned to death. So, this one should be labelled into the “nun” exploitation category of films, yet this is a good one.Technically, this is standard NTSC, region free release by Full Moon Features. The image is mostly crisp clear, and presented in a widescreen format. My guess is that this current release took advantage of the previous Franco film release program by VIP (Jess Franco Golden Goya Collection). Very importantly, the film is the uncut version, running for about 89 minutes. The movie comes in English with no subtitles. Extras include interviews with Jess Franco, his late muse Lina Romay, and producer Erwin Dietrich. So, a good deal for the money for Franco fans.

This is not one of Franco's best films. The acting is mundane and the plot is slow moving and uninspired. The "Deus ex Machina" and dramatic twist at the end doesn't save it but may have saved Franco's derriere from the wrath of the Catholic Church. There are much better Franco films of this genra such as "Voodoo Passion" and "Love Camp".

[...]Wonderfully awful.

The star is very pretty and she is nude some of the time, but there were lots of opportunities (e.g., during devil worshiping scenes) to add more nudity and more action. The chances weren't taken.

totally false impression of the advertised product - a rip off

Format: Streaming on-lineQuality: SDJesus (Director) made a real pleasure filled sleazy B.D.S.M. devil filled movie. With the innocence of Susan Hemingway, and her naked skin...WOW! Had all nuns acted this way I would of became a catholic along ass time ago. Even the cover of the film is accurate.

A very stupid movie filmed in a modern urban park ! It's not erotic. Please save your money and time.

Entertaining film but if, like me, you detest those OCD censorship freaks, you will need to check around for an uncut version of this film. The version I bought (says, "The Official Jess Franco Collection" at the top) said 85 minutes in listing, but was actually 80 minutes. The full length is 89 minutes.

Great film

also wer den trash von jess franco, - mag der ist mit diesem kleinod von einer art von nonnenspiegel gut bedient,zwar nicht jedermanns kost aber gut übersetzt und hervorragend gespielt

Very good film.