Inspired by true events, “The Innocents” is a somber tale of
spirituality in crisis set in post-World War II Poland. As the film opens,
Mathilde (Lou de Laâge), a female doctor with the
French Red Cross, is beckoned by a desperate nun from the nearby village.
Brought back to the nun’s convent, Mathilde finds one of the sisters in labor
and immediately sets to helping her deliver the child.
The Reverend Mother (Agata Kulesza) and her second in charge,
Maria (Agata Buzek) explain
that shortly before the war ended, the abbey was invaded by Soviet soldiers.
Now that the war is over, the soldiers have moved on, but several of the
sisters are now in various stages of pregnancy.
Though the Reverend Mother views the pregnancies as a source
of shame and fears the scandal that would ensue should their secret be found
out, Maria implores Mathilde’s help in delivering the remaining children. As
the young doctor is brought into their world, guiding the frightened and
confused nuns through the difficult circumstances, many of the women begin to
wrestle with their faith. Beautiful performances from the entire cast help
ensure that each nun is a distinct person, as all deal with their trauma in
unique ways.
Despite the bleak subject, the film is an ultimately hopeful
and compassionate examination of the boundaries of faith. As Maria explains to
the doctor at one point, “faith is 24 hours of doubt and one minute of hope.”
Meanwhile, cinematographer Caroline Champetier’s
cold, desaturated photography often makes the film appear black and white at a
time when the world was anything but.
This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2016.
