Time of darkness
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Time of darkness |
| Original title | Stealing Heaven |
| Country of production | Great Britain , Yugoslavia |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1988 |
| length | 115 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Clive Donner |
| script |
Chris Bryant , Marion Meade |
| production |
Susan George , Simon MacCorkindale , Andros Epaminondas |
| music | Nick Bicat |
| camera | Mikael Salomon |
| occupation | |
| |
Zeit der Dunkelheit (original title Stealing Heaven ; German alternative title: Love behind monastery walls , love in the time of darkness ) is the 1988 film adaptation of Marion Meade 's historical novel Stealing Heaven by director Clive Donner . The novel and the film are based on the historically documented love affair between the French philosopher Peter Abelard and the young Heloisa .
action
France in the early 12th century. The 17-year-old Heloisa, who was brought up in the monastery, drives the nuns to despair with her provocative, almost blasphemous questions. The Bishop of Paris takes her to Paris , where she is staying in the house of her uncle, the Canon of Notre-Dame , Fulbert . At the same time, the philosopher and theologian Peter Abelard, extremely popular with his students, was teaching at the University of Paris. Due to a scandal caused by his students with the help of a prostitute, Abelard repents at Fulbert's house at his own request. Abelard and Heloisa are attracted to each other. The tension is released after attending the Christmas mass when sexual intercourse occurs. In the following time there are always intimacies. Finally Heloisa is expecting a child from Abelard. Both flee from Paris to Abelard's sister. After the birth of their son Astralabius , they both secretly marry. Heloisa's uncle Fulbert is so angry about this situation that he hires men to attack and emasculate Abelard . Fulbert falls from grace and is banished from Paris. Abelard survived the attack and sees the whole thing as God's will. He opens Heloisa to enter the monastery of Saint Denis as a monk . He asks Heloisa to also enter a monastery as a nun. Contrary to her inner conviction, she finally bows to his will, goes to the monastery and leaves the education of Astralabius to Abelard's sister. When the monastery is dissolved, Heloisa moves from monastery to monastery with the nuns, but they are not accepted anywhere. Finally they go to the Abelard Monastery, where they are given refuge. The monks and nuns expand the monastery. Abelard is appointed abbot of a monastery in Brittany by the bishop and puts the monastery in the hands of Heloisas. Years later, the graying Abelard, accompanied by the squire Jourdain, returns to visit the meanwhile flourishing monastery of Heloisas. She is accompanied by the now grown-up Astralabius, whom Heloisa has not seen since childhood.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films writes that the film is a "melodramatic costume film that never achieves the ambitious goals" .
The New York Times believes that the production has everything "that makes a great, passionate film" - "eroticism, religion, intellect and elaborate costumes."
A beautifully photographed piece of contemporary history (Maltins MG)
Web links
- Time of darkness in the Internet Movie Database (English)