The nun and the doctor
Did anyone sense the hidden romance between the two? That had to be racy for the 50's.
shareNot a "romance," but an "attraction," which the esteemed Sister Luke would have ignored.
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MovieChat Forums > The Nun's Story (1959) Discussion > The nun and the doctor
In the original novel, there was no attraction or romance between them
shareThe Nun's Story is based on a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme. Hulme wrote the book based upon the experiences of her friend, Marie Louise Habets of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, a Belgian nurse and an ex-nun whom she met while working with refugees in post-war Europe. Zoe Fairbairns’ article The Nun’s True Story tells the story of how Habets’s story became Hulme’s bestseller and how the two women became partners and shared a home and a life for nearly 40 years. In 1960, Hulme and Habets moved to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where Hulme continued to write, with Habets’s support and assistance. They grew tropical fruits, bred dogs, rode horses, had friends to stay, gave talks, and socialised among the other Kauai expats. They remained Catholics, and Hulme continued her involvement with the work of the mystic G. I. Gurdjieff. Anyone who, inspired by the integrity, rebelliousness and self-assertion of Gabrielle van der Mal, goes to the Hulme papers looking for signs of Habets as a religious or sexual revolutionary, will search in vain. Habits was socially conservative (though tolerant) and a staunch admirer of nuns, her one regret being that she herself was not strong enough to remain one. If she and Hulme had any criticisms of the Catholic Church or convents, they kept silent. If they were aware of or interested in women’s liberation or lesbian/gay liberation, they show no sign of it, though clearly they lived openly as a couple, and were acknowledged as such by friends and business associates.
Just a fleeting attraction, with lots of mutual respect for each other.
shareThe director did a lot of consulting with Catholics, and with nuns. It's a very non-cliche'd, very realistic view of nuns for the time, and I really liked it. So often nuns are portrayed in that era as childlike or overly sanctimonious. These are sophisticated women who understand their vows, even when they interpret them in a way in which I disagree (such as suggesting that Audrey Hepburn flunk her exam on purpose).
The production said what made the Catholic consultants most nervous was Peter Finch and the nun. They had to be careful with that relationship. I think they succeeded. There was chemistry, and an attraction, but nothing inappropriate. A very fine line, but it worked.
Zimmerman said he spoke with many nuns, asking which vow was hardest, and without a doubt they all said "Humility." It was the act of pretending they weren't as smart, as accomplished, and as capable as they were. Everything else - chastity, poverty - was a walk in the park compared to that.
i think in the source material that there was indeed sexual tension between the two.
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