Laura Gemser in the Tense Barn Scene from Suor Emanuelle (1977)

Laura Gemser stars in “Suor Emanuelle” (1977), the Italian drama directed by Giuseppe Vari in which the famous Emanuelle character has joined a convent as a nun, only for her past to catch up with her. The film follows Emanuelle’s struggle between her vows and her old life, complicated by the arrival of a rebellious new resident at the convent and by men who drift into the grounds from outside. This scene is set in an old stone barn filled with hay. A blonde woman stands with her wrists tied above her head while a man in army green spends time with Emanuelle in front of her, and the scene is staged so that her distress is clear throughout. Laura Gemser, still in parts of her white habit, appears nude as the scene goes on. The setting of beams, straw and dusty light gives the sequence a rough, rural feel. It is one of the more uncomfortable moments in a film that is otherwise better known for its mix of melodrama and convent intrigue, and it shows how far the story strays from Emanuelle’s attempt at a quiet religious life.

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