The Nun's Story

directed by Fred Zinnemann
Category: "Drama"
Year of Release:1959
Date Added:05/31/2026
Date Watched:05/31/2026
Description:The story of Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn), the daughter of a famous Belgian surgeon who is a skilled nurse. She decides to become a nun, hoping to be stationed at the mission in Congo. From the beginning she has issued with the rules, especially when they prevent her from exercising her talents in medicine. In spit of some hitches that delay her posting, she eventually ends up in the Congo, assisting Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch), who is very appreciative of her talents but thinks her religious rituals aren't for her. She is sent back to Belgium and begins working in a hospital there when WWII breaks out. When she hears that the Nazis killed her father while he was taking care of refugees, she decides that she cannot forgive and be neutral. She quits begin a nun, perhaps to work wtih the Belgium underground.
My Rating:4

Reviews for The Nun's Story

Review - Nun's Story, The

Very long, very slow, very drawn-out and boring story about a talented nurse who got mixed up with the silly rituals of a man-made religion that believes you can work and discipline yourself to being right with God. A much better movie, and one about two-and-a-half hours shorter would have had her listen to the nonsense demanded of her as a nun and walked out to be a nurse.

Reviewed by Roger on 2026-05-31 15:30:10

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