Sous le soleil de Satan (1987)

Director:

Maurice Pialat

Writers:

Georges Bernanos (novel)
Maurice Pialat (writer)

Release Date:

10 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Dossignan is a very zealous rural priest. The dean Menou-Segrais tries to keep him reasonable. But Dossignan will be tempted by Satan...

Plot Keywords:

Satan | Priest | Rural | Devil | Confessional

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Donissan
Sandrine Bonnaire	...	Mouchette
Maurice Pialat	...	Menou-Segrais
Alain Artur	...	Cadignan
Yann Dedet	...	Gallet
Brigitte Legendre	...	Mouchette's Mother
Jean-Claude Bourlat	...	Malorthy
Jean-Christophe Bouvet	...	Horse Dealer
Philippe Pallut	...	Quarryman
Marcel Anselin	...	Bishop Gerbier
Yvette Lavogez	...	Marthe
Pierre D'Hoffelize	...	Havret
Corinne Bourdon	...	Child's Mother
Thierry Der'ven	...	Sabroux
Marie-Antoinette Lorge	...	Estelle

Also Known As:

Under the Sun of Satan (UK) (USA)
Under Satan's Sun

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15

Company:

Action Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma (1995)

Soundtrack:

Intermezzo from Symphony No.1

Love It or Prepare to Fall Asleep-or Both

As with countless other fine and well-meaning French productions, this one has plenty of intricate dialogue-which is seldom translated in whole. As a result, I am sure that for some people the narrative barely makes any sense; for others it will be unjustifiably dense and even lyric. I am sure some people must love the slow pace and the religious subject matter to the point of exaltation. As it happens with the immensely frustrating film Therese [Alain Cavalier, 90m, 1986], this one never really delivers on its premises/promises. I do not want to give away its really simplistic plot, so won't get into the details of its many faux pas dealing with the simple life of a country faux naif. That said, I just want to add how the film manages to elevate its pretentiousness to the level of art! The viewer is left to feel below the film's main theme and message, mainly on account that it deals with mystical matters not to be understood by the viewing masses-especially by those who watch the film. The point is lost in the main character's constant self-flagellation-physical and spiritual. The, in short, viewer can never identify with Donissan or with Mouchette-or with anyone else in the film. Even Buñuel's The Milky Way [1968] is easier and more fun, and this is a stretch. To be sure, we know what is going on at all times, but it is hard to imagine why is there so much ado about matters that are best left untouched. For a more vivid portray of the struggles of religious significance see Agnes of God [1985], The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ [1988], or El crimen del padre Amaro [2002]. Should you insist in seeing this uneven production, which is only available in a very poor VHS format, go on at your own peril. At least-if it is any consolation-it isn't that long!