Dialogue with the Carmelites (, , also known as The Carmelites) is a 1960 French-Italian historical drama film written and directed by Raymond Léopold Bruckberger and Philippe Agostini and starring Jeanne Moreau, Alida Valli, Madeleine Renaud, Pascale Audret, Pierre Brasseur and Jean-Louis Barrault. It is based upon the play by Georges Bernanos, which in turn was adapted from the novel by Gertrud von Le Fort. It's the story of the Martyrs of Compiègne, Carmelite nuns who were guillotined in Paris in 1794 in the waning days of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, after refusing to renounce their vocation.
Plot
During the difficult years of the French Revolution, the young noblewoman Bianca, on the advice of her father, the Marquis de la Force, decided to enter the cloistered convent of the Carmelites of Compiègne. The need to find a safe refuge is accompanied by a certain religious vocation, but, despite this, Bianca is afraid of facing sacrifices and suffering and is afraid of not being up to her choice.
Soon the revolutionary authorities and the people will begin to annoy the nuns, accused of being reactionary, enemies of the homeland, who grab riches and give hospitality to the fugitives. Forced to leave the convent, the nuns vow to be willing to sacrifice their lives so that the Catholic religion can survive in France.
Dispersed in small groups, almost all of them will be arrested, found guilty and sentenced to death. The procession that accompanies them to the Square of the Reversed Throne, where the execution will take place, will cross the streets of Paris between prayers, blessings and religious songs. Bianca de la Force, with courage, will climb the gallows in place of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, who will be the only one to be saved and who alone will have to continue to practice the teaching of Carmel.
Cast
Jeanne Moreau as Mère Marie de l'Incarnation
Alida Valli as Mère Thérèse de Saint-Augustin
Madeleine Renaud as La première prieure
Pascale Audret as Soeur Blanche de l'Agonie du Christ (Blanche de la Force) Pierre Brasseur as Le commissaire de la République Jean-Louis Barrault as Le Mime Anne Doat as Soeur Constance de Saint-Denis (Marie-Geneviève Meunier) Georges Wilson as L'aumǒnier du Carmel Pierre Bertin as Le marquis de la Force Claude Laydu as Le Chevalier de la Force Judith Magre as Rose Ducor Simone Angèle as Soeur Agnès (as Simone Angele) Pascale de Boysson as Soeur Cécile Jacqueline Dane as Soeur Gabrielle Paula Dehelly as Soeur Catherine Hélène Dieudonné as Soeur Jeanne de la Divine Enfance (as Helene Dieudonne) Yvette Etiévant as Soeur Lucie, la tourière (as Yvette Etievant) Anouk Ferjac as Soeur Gabrielle Sophie Grimaldi as Soeur Anne de Jésus Lydia Lester as Soeur Gertrude Margo Lion as Soeur Saint-Louis Nicole Polack as Soeur Charlotte Hélène Vallier as Soeur Agathe Lucien Arnaud as Le cocher Camille Guérini as Docteur Javeline, le médecin du Carmel (as Camille Guerini) Renaud Mary as Fouquier-Tinville Lucien Raimbourg as Le commissaire -adjoint Albert Rémy as un sans-culotte (as Albert Remy) Daniel Ceccaldi as L'Officier