Le moine (2011)

Directed by: Dominik Moll | 101 minutes | thriller | Actors: Vincent Cassel, Geraldine Chaplin, Déborah François, Sergi López, Roxane Duran, Pep Tosar, Jordi Dauder, Rosa Renom, Ernst Umhauer, Jean-Charles Dumay, Pierre-Félix Gravière

Intriguing thriller with a strong lead by Vincent Cassel about a Spanish monk who is very strict in teaching, but is overthrown by the devil. Promising in scope, beautifully designed and full of symbolism, ‘Le moine’ ultimately fails to become a classic of its genre. In fact, the film disappoints, especially in the last part.

Based on Matthew Gregory Lewis’ classic 1796 “gothic novel”, ‘Le moine’ tells the story of Ambrosio, who is abandoned as a baby at a Capuchin monastery just outside Madrid. The foundling is accepted into their midst, despite the hesitation of some monks because of the large birthmark on his shoulder, which resembles a hand and is seen by them as a sign of the devil. Ambrosio is mainly taken into the care of the abbot, Miguel (Jordi Dauder) and grows up to be a strict, very straightforward monk. His sermons are famous widely and his disdain for those who cannot withstand the temptations of the devil is obvious.

In any case, pride is one sin of which Ambrosio is guilty, but the devil is not satisfied with it. Cassel once again puts in a top performance as Ambrosio. Dressed in a short beard, Cassel has a carved head here, which hears apparently unmoved the most terrible sins of those who come to confess to him. One of them is a man who seems to have little remorse for abusing his young niece. That role is played by the always fantastic Sergi López, who is credited as “le débauché” which can be translated as the licentious or the depraved.

Ambrosio’s popularity among the population doesn’t seem to affect him at all. The comparison with a contemporary pop star is obvious, because that’s how Ambrosio is considered by the nun Agnes (Roxane Duran). Unfortunately for her, he finds a note from her secret lover and, without any further concern for her, hands her over to Mother Superior (Geraldine Chaplin), after which a terrible fate awaits Agnes and her unborn child.

For a long time, director Dominik Moll adhered quite well – barring a few changes or omissions – to the original text of Lewis’ book. While the novel was extremely shocking at the time, today’s (film) public is used to a few things. The main problem is that Moll fails to transport the viewer completely to the end of the 16th century. Yet he manages to evoke atmosphere and from the start he raises questions: why is Ambrosio sometimes tormented by enormous headaches, why are the other monks also a bit afraid of him, what do his dreams mean – overexposed and filmed with strong colors – in which he sees a lady in a red cloak praying?

Full of gothic symbolism, Moll manages to evoke an ominous atmosphere and use the well-known horror/thriller elements in an effective way. Supported by the fine camera work of Patrick Blossier, who takes us through the arid landscape of Castile (the film was shot in and around Madrid, where the novel was also set) and the deserted corridors of the cloister, where every shadow can hide a threat .

Moll leads the viewer step by step to Ambrosio’s inevitable demise. It is ushered in when a mysterious boy, named Valerio, appears at the monastery, who is so disfigured by a fire that he wears a mask. Valerio wants to join the monastery as a novice and quickly develops a special bond with Ambrosio, partly because he can remove the monk’s migraine by touch. One of Ambrosio’s admirers is the young Antonia (Joséphine Japy), a young woman from a wealthy family who has become captivated by his sermons. The noble Lorenzo (Frédéric Noaille) has fallen for her beauty and wants to marry her. Antonia’s mother Elvire (Catherine Mouchet in a good role) has her doubts and when her health continues to deteriorate, Ambrosio is called in to relieve Elvire’s anguish. Ambrosio then discovers that Antonia is the lady in the red cloak from his dreams. With that, all chess pieces are placed on the board and the game for Ambrosio’s soul begins.

At that moment, however, things go wrong, despite the good acting performances of the cast. Moll fails to convincingly portray Ambrosio’s fall. The transition is simply too big and too easy. It’s not Cassel’s fault, but it’s too unbelievable that Ambrosio didn’t light up a light earlier that something might not be quite right. Because of this serious flaw, ‘Le Moine’ limps and stumbles towards the inevitable end.