expect to see another nunsploitation movie with a mean mother superior abusing and torture her charge and flavia turn out to be much more than i have anticipate . it actually have a feminist storyline and though i do not think such a term exist in the era in which the movie be set . it certainly wasn not practice . woman ( and the jew and the poor ) be very downtrodden and lock into menial spot in society . throughout the story and sister flavia ( florinda bolkan ) witness the tyranny of her time until she just can not sit there any long and actually do something about it and albeit with disastrous result . the pre credit sequence have flavia a a young adolescent near a battlefield . she see an injured evil muslim soldier ( one of the few still alive ) and try to assist him . before she can and her hate fill father behead the soldier and wave his head in her face ( great family dynamic and huh . ) . after this and her father force her to join a convent where she witness even more injustice . though scene do involve violence and rape and nun and i would consider this more of a historical drama than nunsploitation . indeed and many of the ingredient for a trashy exploitation piece be there and but the acting and camera work and storyline and music be too good to keep it down in that level . most nun film i have see usually have the basic premise of represent a good girl somehow wind up in a convent and where the mother superior be a supreme bitch that like to whip people and or or make their life a living hell . flavia spend much of the first part of he movie passively question all of the atrocity happen around her . much of her passivity be forget when she become acquaint with the strong spirited ( but slightly loony she like to pee outside like me and but it a lot easy for guy ) sister agatha . when a group of muslim attack their abbey and flavia and agatha do not cower in fear like the other nun . their attacker actually function a their liberator ( of the cruelty and near slavery of the abbey ) . in fact and it be a christian and not a muslim invader and that impales dear sister agatha . it be agatha death that send flavia on her violent crusade against those who have oppress her . her father treat her like dirt . her muslim lover desert her at a very inopportune time . i do not want to give out too much of the rest of the story and but be prepare to be shock and devastate and sadden at the conclusion . this be a great film and so do not be put off by it ( undeserved ) reputation a a trash epic . plus and how on earth could a movie feature florinda bolkan and claudio cassinelli go wrong . i be not familiar with maría casares other work and but sister agatha be a hell of a character . i have read many great review of the synapse ( u ) release and but i love my german x rat kult dvd copy . it isn not anamorphic/16 represent9 and but actually have a little more picture information on all of the edge than synapse release . and there be also many great and wise or funny line of dialogue ( many from sister agatha ) why be god male . the father and the son and and the holy spirit theyre all male . flaviathese men be afraid look at them and sister afraid their power will be take away from them . sr. agatha ( regard christian flee after the muslim arrive ) woman and where be you go . the moslem can do nothing to you that the christian haven not do . ha ha ha . sr. agatha ( to a group of flee christian woman ) lord bless these moslem for put fear into these pompous christian . flaviadoes it take the mere sight of a moslem to make you $ h . t your underclothing . sr. agathaclosing message represent flavia gaetani and not yet a muslim no longer a christian be punish a a runaway nun . the idea for the film come from event which occur during the musalman invasion of italy culminating in what even today be remember a the martyrdom of the 800 at otranto .