Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

The Nun's Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Pious in the sky.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 16, 2024

Countless films have since explored the realistic, melodramatic, and supernatural nooks and crannies of nunhood (a word I didn't realize even existed until today), but Fred Zinnemann's compelling and mostly grounded The Nun's Story is certainly one of the best. While earlier films such as The Bells of Saint Mary's and Black Narcissus deserve their own spots high -- or maybe higher -- on such a list (all of them well above dreck like this), The Nun's Story firmly secured its own place in film history by earning eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and a much-deserved one for Best Actress (Audrey Hepburn), who turns in what might be a career best performance here.

The story of The Nun's Story is, of course, based on the best-selling 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme; it was adapted by Robert Anderson, most famous for his work as a playwright and TV writer, who earned a second Best Screenplay Oscar nomination for Gilbert Cates' excellent 1970 film I Never Sang for My Father. Here, the book has been condensed into an appropriately spacious 149-minute drama, one that's well-paced and thoughtful in the ways Hume's story translates to screen. We're first introduced to young Gabrielle Van Der Mal (Hepburn), who joins a convent in the hopes of serving in the Belgian Congo and takes on the name of "Sister Luke" but, after disobeying a direct order from Mother Superior (Edith Evans, The Whisperers), is instead sent to work at an asylum where her medicinal skills are wasted.

This is only a stopgap on Sister Luke's road to her chosen path in central Africa, but it serves as a microcosm for The Nun's Story's portrayal of its main character as a conflicted and headstrong figure who we know will eventually return to her former life as an outsider. Anderson's script upholds the spirit of Hulme's original story yet still features his own touches, while symbolism and emotional drama are bolstered by terrific visual flourishes as well as the smart decision to divide this film into neat thirds. The deliberately-paced first act concerns Van Der Mal's gradual indoctrination into life as a nun (one that features lengthy stretches of dialogue-free rituals, many of which weren't detailed in the novel), the second obviously goes quite a bit heavier on conflict via a sudden battle with tuberculosis and a wary relationship with non-religious surgeon Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch, Network), while the third and final act concerns Sister Luke's all but inevitable attempted transition back to her former self. It's a compelling journey conveyed in a very contemplative and reflective way, and Hepburn's emotional performance -- obviously told mostly with her eyes, given the restrictions of her costume -- provides more than enough of an emotional anchor to hold everything together securely.

The occasional "heightened Hollywood drama" of its most arresting moments keep The Nun's Story from feeling like truly conceivable escapist entertainment, but almost everything else about this big-studio production is polished to a more reasonable shine. From Franz Planer's beautiful Technicolor cinematography -- almost all of it filmed on location in Europe and the Congo -- to the effective original score by another Franz (Waxman), it's a study piece of era-specific entertainment that should play well regardless of your interest in the subject matter. Thankfully, Warner Archive has rescued The Nun's Story from DVD purgatory with yet another high-grade Blu-ray package, one that clearly leans hard on its strong technical merits and will absolutely delight fans looking to revisit this classic production.

The Nun's Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Warner Archive's quality 1080p transfer of The Nun's Story finds itself in a comfortable place among the boutique label's most impressive releases. Much like other films that employed this source format, it has a rich and authentic appearance that conveys its film origins while also appearing clean and almost entirely damage-free. The slightly subdued color palette, one that features suitably plain colors inside the convent walls, opens up nicely on select occasions and, as a whole, enjoys a touch more variety than the subject matter might suggest. The bulk of scenes shot on location in the Congo are especially vibrant, with local clothing and background details serving up bold primaries that mix nicely with all the browns and greens. Black levels and shadow detail, crucial in making out details in the all-black habits and darker interiors, such as a pivotal confession scene, are likewise well-rendered. Perhaps the only minor area of concern is with the brightest whites, as a few random shots and scenes displayed what looked like light mosquito noise -- perhaps this was a byproduct of keeping much of the original grain levels intact, but in any case isn't too distracting. The wide, wide majority of what's seen here is absolutely high-level work, and it's nicely encoded on this dual-layered disc with a very supportive bit rate from start to finish.

The Nun's Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix replicates the original one-channel source material quite well on this split mono track. Dialogue and background elements are crisp and clear throughout, showing no real signs of damage while retaining a decently broad dynamic range for a film from this particular area. Everything sounds nicely prioritized and no elements fight for attention, reminding us that the most effective audio mixes are often the most straightforward ones that rarely call attention to themselves, with prolific composer Franz Waxman's original score coming through especially well at key moments. Overall, a solid-sounding mix that easily outpaces earlier lossy DVD editions.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only.

The Nun's Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork; no insert or slipcover are included. Bonus features are limited to the original trailer, the only extra on earlier DVD editions.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:11) - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

The Nun's Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fred Zinnemann's production of The Nun's Story, based on the popular 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme and adapted by Robert Anderson, is a sturdy classic Hollywood drama and features quite possibly a career-best performance from star Audrey Hepburn. It's well-paced and largely compelling despite the roomy running time, aided quite capably by strong cinematography, fine music, and a solid supporting case. This one is well worth (re)discovering via Warner Archive's new Blu-ray edition, led by a very solid 4K-sourced restoration and great lossless audio. Firmly Recommended.