Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie Review

"We must must save our order. We can't permit her to destroy what we've established." "Fetch the tools of torture."

Reviewed by Justin Dekker September 28, 2026

Another of a number of films made for Swiss producer Erwin C. Dietrich, director Jess Fraco's 1977 film 'Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun' makes its US Blu-ray debut courtesy of Delirium Home Video. The film stars Susan Hemmingway ('Sinfonía Erótica', 'Je brûle de partout') in her first film role, alongside Herbert Fux ('Jack the Ripper (1976)'), William Berger ('The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff'), Aida Vargas ('Die Sklavinnen', 'Je brûle de partout'), and Ana Zanatti ('Porto Santo'). Three English audio tracks are available, and on-disc supplemental features include an audio commentary with Troy Howarth, and archival interview and Q& A footage of Jess Franco, Lina Romay, Erwin C. Dietrich, and others. A slipcover limited to the first 2,000 copies is included.

The young Maria (Hemmingway) is sent away to a convent, much her her dismay and to her mother's not insignificant financial inconvenience. Once there, she quickly learns that the nuns are not quite as pious and pure as she would have expected, and it seems Father Vincente (Berger) has something more earthly on his mind than her immortal soul. Maria is subjected to various tortures and indignities by the Mother Superior (Zanetti), a Satanic Grand Priestess who is in league with the good Father. Trapped and without any other resources, she pens letters to God asking for help.

Franco, over the course of his voluminous career, dipped his toe into many different genres. Every fan no doubt has his or her own favorite, while others who appreciate the director's vision, style, and tendencies and are content to survey the field and follow wherever Franco may lead. Franco did a number of things quite well, but one of the genres he had a strong handle on was Women in Prison (WIP) films. Some are more straightforward such as Women of Cell Block 9, Love Camp, and Barbed Wire Dolls. In these films a prison-like structure is used, a hierarchy of prison staff, albeit sometimes very sparse, is identifiable, and the desire to escape is the basis for at least one of the films' plotlines. Part and parcel to these films is the leveraging of a number of genre tropes that typify these films; overcrowded conditions and scanty attire for the female prisoners, amorous couplings between the inmates, wardens bent on the sexual domination of the inmates, women subjected to torture and subjugation, and a young innocent woman who is either wrongly convicted or framed. Others of Franco's films, while not plainly WIP films would use some of these elements to great effect as well. Doriana Gray sees one of a pair of twins played by Lina Romay imprisoned in an asylum. Though she suffers a different kind of sexual torment than her character in Barbed Wire Dolls, and she more actively seeks out sexual satisfaction and release, the mixture of female sexuality intertwined with confinement is obvious. Similar elements are seen in Satanic Sisters, where Milicent's (Karine Gambier) own sister, Edna (Pamela Stanford), serves as her warden, chaining her to her bed, drugging her, and bringing in people to satisfy her constant carnal needs.

The linkages between Franco's WIP films and Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun are many. Maria, like the women of the WIP films, is taken to the convent against her will after being spotted by the lustful and lascivious Father Vincente. Once there, she's stripped and physically examined in mixed company. Fellow nuns try to tempt her into a lesbian tryst, going so far as to use an apple, rich with symbolism, in the effort . The Mother Superior physically tortures her. Father Vincente forces her to confess all impure thoughts and deeds while he sexually gratifies himself. Much more behavior that would be right at home in a WIP film is found inside those holy halls as well, thoug few are as graphic as one might expect. But the final component to add to the equation is that the young Maria is every bit the prisoner that Romay's Maria is in Barbed Wire Dolls, that Ada Tauler's Angela is in Love Camp, and that Gambier's Milicent is in Satanic Sisters. In spite of the convent setting, she's behind bars in a small cell in her room, she's transported in a barred carriage, and even when she tries to escape and speak to the mayor, we see her behind the barred window at the start of the conversation. Franco never wants the viewer to forget that she is a prisoner. Though some of her sexual thoughts and deeds are her choice and many others are against her will, that concoction of female sexuality mixed with confinement remains.

All this activity, from the banal to the blasphemous, serves Franco's purpose here, which is nothing less than the evisceration of Christianity in general and Catholicism in specific. While Father Vincente claims to have Maria's soul in mind as whisks her away to the convent, he clearly sees her as a tool to slake his lust and satisfy other objectives. Though he is easily able to pry her from her mother's clutches, still he demands payment for doing so, even though her mother is clearly of meager means. It's clearly earthly rewards he seeks. Inside the convent walls, the establishment is rotten to the core, with the Mother Superior worshipping Satan and others of the order are clearly in her thrall. These Satanic elements help to push the film more squarely into the horror realm, though traditional horror fare is in short supply. While the tortures and abuses Maria suffers are horrific to varying degrees, they are much more in keeping with WIP films. Taking things even further, Franco brings in witchfinder elements as well, through a series of events set in motion by Maria's flight from the convent during which she attempts to enlist the help of the village's mayor, as she explains all of the diabolical things that are transpiring there. This, of course, only leads to more serious tortures at the hands of the Father and the Mother Superior, before they plot to turn her over to the Grand Inquisitor, accused of being a witch and a servant of the devil. A burning is organized, but not before more torture is witnessed. It should come as no surprise that the hierarchy takes care of its own and that the plight of the powerless is of little concern. As indictments go, depicting behavior inside a convent to be parallel with that which is found in prison, where corruption is protected and allowed to flourish, and where superstition still holds sway is pretty tough stuff.

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p presentation of Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun is in many ways similar to that of the Ascot release from 2014, which is certainly a positive as I was rather pleased with that release. Fine grain is present and gives Love Letters a lovely filmic look. Fine detail is typically quite high, with fine lines and wrinkles on Helmut Berger's face as well as his shaggy hair style, ornate environmental and ornamental details of the abbey, and various costuming particulars on display, from the basic attire of the nuns to the more elaborate. For instance, the dress Hemmingway's character wears at the start of the film provides viewers with a chance to appreciate various textures, and to appreciate the intricacies of the garment's lace collar. Skin tones are generally healthy, and colors are typically well-saturated, with greens and reds in particular looking quite pleasing. Blacks can be quite deep, though in certain interior scenes they can consume character and environmental details. Ghosting is apparent at several instances throughout the film, first when Hemmingway's character sits in the confessional telling her sins to a delighted Father Vincente at around the 15-minute mark, and again later as a nun moves through the courtyard at the 33-minute mark. There are also some instances of wobble which appear periodically, as well as the occasional vertical lines and scratches. Barring these few issues, none of which are long in duration, it's a solid-looking transfer.

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Two audio options, a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track and a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, are selectable via the disc's "Settings" menu, and a Dolby Digital 2.0 track is also selectable using the player's remote. After spending time with each of the tracks, I found the 5.1 DTS-HD MA track to be my preferred of the three tracks available on the disc. From a sound design perspective, the the track is relatively straightforward, with little to handle that is overly dynamic or complex. Baumgartner's score sounds excellent, with those moments where the organ is featured being sonic highlights, and the period strings are crisp and bouncy as well. Dialogue is kept front and center, and is clean and free from defect. It's properly prioritized throughout, so words, cries, and moans are never lost to sound effects or the score. Sound effects are primarily limited to swooshing habits, footsteps, and carriage wheels, and present with a vintage authenticity. It's a dependable, workmanlike track.

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Delirium's Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun comes equipped with the following on-disc extras.

• Commentary with Troy Howarth - Howarth begins by discussing the film's release schedule, its reception by British censors, and it's rather dubious English dub. He shares information about the film's primary shooting location and the numerous other films he shot there. Cast members come into focus next, including Susan Hemmingway, and Ana Zanatti, before providing something of a career retrospective and providing details about the various producers with whom Franco worked. Franco's Bloody Judge receives some focus as well, before he moves on to the broader nunsploitation genre. The track is entertaining, informative, and quite conversational. Franco fans will want to check it out.

• Memories of a Portuguese Nun (12.55) - This vintage segment captures Erwin C. Dietrich and Jess Franco discussing the DVD revolution, before Franco moves on to his love for cinema. Romay appears seated outside at a cafe and shares her thoughts on the director and his approach, as does Herbert Fux. They also mention the growing popularity of the director's films. DP Peter Baumgartner appears as well, speaking about the shooting in the monastery and he provides other information about the shoot as well.

• Jess Franco and Lina Romay in Munich (5.24) - Part of a Q & A recorded at the Filmmuseum in Munich in July of 2001, Franco, Romay, and Herbert Fux speaks about working together and the director's approach to filmmaking. Romay also discusses how she chose her screen name. The segment closes with an endearing clip of Lina and Jess singing their way down the street.

• Official Trailer (2.39)

• German Trailer (3.01)

• Erwin C. Dietrich Trialers (4.06) - Trailers for Barbed Wire Dolls, Doriana Gray, Love Camp, and Satanic Sisters, all of which have been released by Delirium, are included.

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun may unabashedly work through the list of established Nunsploitation genre tropes, but it is surprisingly elevated in its methods. The film's production values are boosted due to its gorgeous primary locations and period costumes, as well as its very engaging cast. Susan Hemmingway, in the first film role of her short career, brings a genuine and believable innocence to her role as Maria, making every torture she endures more terrible, her situation more desperate, and her perceived only hope for salvation all the more credible. Rather than merely blatantly keeping its attention on titillation, the focus of Franco's film is his clearly negative feelings toward Catholicism, portraying it as corrupt, greedy, controlling, and hypocritically sinful. While perhaps not the best best jumping-on point for those new to the director's body of work, for established fans of Jess Franco, Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun comes highly recommended.