The Nun’s Story

Poignant account of a spirited Belgian woman’s struggle to obey her vows after becoming a missionary nun in pre-war Belgian Congo. A surgeon’s daughter intent on becoming a nurse in Africa undergoes the rigours of convent training to realise her dream. Her theological principles are severely tested when she finds herself attracted to an agnostic doctor and the Nazis invade her homeland. Based on Kathryn C Hulme’s book., A devoted nun in the Belgian Congo begins to doubt her faith when her family and county are destroyed in World War II., A young Belgian woman defies her family and becomes a nun, but her faith is continually tested with hardships, working in a Congo hospital and war-torn France., Poignant account of a spirited Belgian woman’s struggle to obey her vows after becoming a missionary nun in pre-war Belgian Congo. A surgeon’s daughter intent on becoming a nurse in Africa undergoes the rigours of convent training to realise her dream. Her theological principles are severely tested when she finds herself attracted to an agnostic doctor and the Nazis invade her homeland., Poignant account of a spirited young Belgian woman’s struggle to obey her vows after becoming a missionary nun in pre-war Belgian Congo. A surgeon’s daughter intent on becoming a nurse in Africa undergoes the rigours of convent training to realise her dream. But her theological principles are severely tested when she finds herself attracted to an agnostic doctor and the Nazis invade her homeland., Best Picture nominee about a young Belgian woman who defies her family and becomes a nun, but her faith is continually tested with hardships, working in a Congo hospital and war-torn France. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Actress (Audrey Hepburn) and Director (Fred Zinnemann), but received none. Best Picture nominee about a young Belgian woman who defies her family and becomes a nun, but her faith is continually tested with hardships, working in a Congo hospital and war-torn France., Academy Award Audrey Hepburn stars in this moving true story of a dedicated nun who grows from an idealistic girl to a diligent caretaker–but who cannot maintain her vow of peace when her country is devastated and her father murdered by the Nazis., Best Picture nominee about a young Belgian woman who defies her family and becomes a nun, but her faith is continually tested with hardships, working in a Congo hospital and war-torn France. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Actress (Audrey Hepburn) and Director (Fred Zinnemann), but received none., The story of Gabrielle Van Der Mal, the daughter of a Belgian surgeon who became a nun in the Congo. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, but lost out to Ben-Hur, which swept the board., Audrey Hepburn stars in The Nun’s Story as Sister Luke, postulant of a Belgian order of nuns. Though frequently disillusioned in her efforts to spread good will — at one point she is nearly killed by a mental patient (Colleen Dewhurst) — Sister Luke perseveres. Sent as a nurse to the Belgian Congo, an assignment she’d been hoping for, Sister Luke is disappointed to learn that she will not be ministering to the natives but to European patients. Through the example of no-nonsense chief surgeon Peter Finch, the nun sheds her idealism and becomes a diligent worker — so much so that she contracts tuberculosis. Upon the outbreak of World War II, Sister Luke tries to honor the edicts of her order and not take sides, but this becomes impossible when her father (Dean Jagger) is killed by the Nazis. Realizing that she cannot remain true to her vows, Sister Luke leaves the order and returns to “civilian” life. The Nun’s Story ends with a long, silent sequence in which Sister Luke divests herself of her religious robes, dons street garb, and walks out to an uncertain future. There is no background music: director Fred Zinnemann decided that “triumphant” music would indicate that Sister Luke’s decision was the right one, while “tragic” music would suggest that she is doing wrong. Rather than make an editorial comment, the director decided against music, allowing the audience members to fill in the blanks themselves. The Nun’s Story is based on the book by Kathryn Hulme, whose depiction of convent life was a lot harsher and more judgmental than anything seen in the film., Best Picture nominee about a young Belgian woman who defies her family and becomes a nun, but her faith is continually tested with hardships, working in hospitals in the Congo and war-torn France. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Actress (Audrey Hepburn) and Director (Fred Zinnemann), but received none.