Some film Critics:
"The nun is played by Audrey Hepburn with such complete understanding of the full content of each scene that her performance will forever silence those who have thought her less an actress than a symbol of the sophisticated child-woman. In The Nun's Story, Miss Hepburn reveals the kind of acting talent that can project inner feelings of both depth and complexity so skillfully you must scrutinize her intently on a second and third viewing of the film to perceive how she does it. Her portrayal of Sister Luke is one of the great performances of the screen...." - Henry Hart, Films in Review
".....In the role of the nun, Miss hepburn is fluent and luminous. From her eyes and her eloquent expressions emerge a character that is warm and involved..." - Bosley Crowther, New York Times
"...Overly dramatic and powerful look at Sister Luke,played by Audrey Hepburn, and her difficulties with nunhood.she struggles with the demand of her convent while carrying out what she's most suited for: medicine and surgical work.An engaging film with terrific acting......" - Michael Lawrence, Don Ignacio's Movie Reviews
"THE NUN'S STORY is Audrey Hepburn's one genuine triumph as actress....The real strength of the performance, though, is that it's all in the face: showcased in helpful habits, Hepburn has to emote from within and bring it all out through her eyes and voice.Her Sister Luke is amongst the best things going for the Congo -- and Catholicism -- but she's made an unwilling victim of her own intelligence and success..." - Ralph Benner, rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup
"....It seems to me that this is the best work Hepburn ever did on screen. For once she is not an object of romance, but a complex character striving for meaning in her own life. Within her range, she performs marvels in enacting a life that goes through quite a few different phases of growth and varying beliefs...." - Chris Dashiell, CineScene
"....The Nun's Story, which astounded her critics...The Nun's Story ultimately stands or falls on Audrey Hepburn, one of the last actresses one would have expected in this role in 1959.Here, her slight tendency toward shrillness is gone entirely, as is the naturally vain stance we see in so many of her films. All that's left is grace (in both the common and supernatural meaning of the word), a simplicity and inner searching she never displayed in any other role, before or after....The Nun's Story is the very best performance Audrey Hepburn ever gave, one of the best anyone ever gave." - Laurie Edwards, CultureDose.net
"....Based on a true story, Audrey Hepburn consulted with the real Gabrielle van der Mal about the role.Especially challenging is how the nun's habit only allows you to see her eyes, nose, and mouth. And despite having only that small area to play her character through, she does an impressive job...." - Rick Pali, Alienshore Film Reviews
"Turning a famous book into a film, Director Zinnemann makes The Nun's Story a hauntingly beautiful, tragic account of the battles that raged for seventeen years in one nun's soul. To help, he has a movie cast to perfection and a superb performance by Audrey Hepburn...." - Life
reply
share