Delving into the bizarre world of nunsploitation cinema

Posted On September 4, 2024September 4, 2024

Exploitation cinema has always found strange ways to leave audiences shocked or titillated, often relying on cheap thrills, nudity, gratuitous sex or gore. That’s not to say that these kinds of films don’t have merit; in fact, exploitation films are one of the most fascinating subsections of cinema. While some early exploitation movies were purely made for grindhouse theatres and late-night drive-ins, many offer up interesting social commentary about certain social groups or ideas.

With the nunsploitation subgenre, themes such as the oppressive forces of religion and patriarchy are often explored alongside female sexual discovery. It’s a mixed bag of a subgenre. There are certainly many titles that paint these female characters in an overtly sexual light and include a wealth of gratuitous nudity and lesbianism for the pleasure of male viewers, but then there are the films that offer up something more compelling.

Nunsploitation cinema often follows similar themes based on the fact that nuns practise chastity. Whether they are presented as sexually repressed, virginal and innocent, or secretly sexually active (usually with another nun), there are all kinds of opportunities here for filmmakers to explore the innermost desires rumbling behind convent walls.

In these environments, where women form the majority, the introduction of a male character is usually a big plot point. His presence is often not wanted and feared, or in some cases, a man causes the stability of the convent to crumble. Male characters sometimes entice the nuns, showing them ‘what they’re missing’ and luring them away from their so-called religious duties. It’s these plotlines that form the most erotic nunsploitation films, typically those made by filmmakers who actually make pornography, too.

The ‘distinguished’ nunsploitation film might deal more succinctly with themes like female liberation and criticise the Catholic Church’s subordination of women, although all of these films will contain erotic or controversial scenes. The Devils remains one of the most polarising nunsploitation films, an arthouse masterpiece of sexual repression, possession, and pure depravity. Starring Vanessa Redgrave, the movie caused offence for many religious viewers, but Ken Russell’s film achieves its aim of presenting a shocking and bold exploration of politics, femininity, religion, and sex.

Then there’s the nunsploitation films that actually reveal little in the way of explicit sex or gratuitous nudity, like Mother Joan of Angels from 1960 and Black Narcissus from 1947. These films explore forbidden attraction, but the levels of eroticism shown are kept to a minimum. The blend of horror, psychological themes, and arthouse tendencies they utilise allows these films to occupy a unique space in cinema.

Yet, among these are the films that exploit the chance of flashing some flesh or presenting erotically charged sadistic punishments at every turn. The work of Joe D’Amato falls into this category, with the filmmaker turning up the smut factor for titles like Images of a Convent. Erotic filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk also tried his hand at nunsploitation with Behind Convent Walls in 1978, imbuing satire into his erotic depiction of sex-crazed nuns.

Nunsploitation has a fascinating legacy, with most of the films considered part of the genre being made today predominantly being horror-orientated (although Paul Verhoeven made a particularly erotic exploration of lesbian nuns with 2021’s Benedetta). From possession to sexual temptation, the genre has given us an interesting array of films, with some considerably more accessible and controversial than others.

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