The Innocents, co-written and directed by Anne Fontaine, is a French foreign language film that chronicles the true story of a group of nuns in 1945 Poland that were unwillingly impregnated by several Soviet soldiers, as well as the Red Cross doctor who was burdened with the task of taking care of the women and delivering their babies. While the movie does not veer outside the realm of most historical dramas in its methodical and pragmatic approach to the subject matter, it is nonetheless extremely well-made and during more than a few scenes as emotionally affecting as any other film of its kind.
From the very opening shot of the movie, the hazy winter sunlight peering in softly on the hallways of the nunnery in which the film takes place, it seemed apparent that the already promising source material was placed in the hands of an incredibly talented filmmaker, and that notion only managed to grow as the film progressed. French director Anne Fontaine, while obviously not particularly well known here in the United States, controls the camera with a level of precision and confidence that compares well to Steven Spielberg’s 2015 historical flick Bridge of Spies. Instead of filling the first half-hour or so with needless, coma-inducing exposition that has become a modern Hollywood trademark, she uses smart filmmaking techniques (as well as impressive performances from an entire cast) to effectively portray the struggle of these forsaken women. The pacing of the narrative is also at the level of any renowned film of its kind, maintaining a consistently slow and controlled style and never once creeping up as even a minor issue. Fontaine, for the entirety of the film’s runtime, owns every corner and crevice of the screen, never once losing her airtight handle on the script.
While the understated moments of the movie are owned by the fantastic direction, the dialogue and acting ability of this cast of mostly no-names dominate the few emotionally volatile and powerful scenes that define the film’s lasting impact on viewers. Because the earlier moments of The Innocents refrains from heavy amounts of dialogue, the later moments of character interaction which tackle heavy themes — namely the loss of faith in light of such atrocities as those which have taken place — carry even greater figurative weight. That is not to downplay the collective performances of these actresses, though; their mastery of the subtleties of acting, especially given that they were asked to convey great levels of emotion with minimal dialogue, is nothing short of exceptional. With a cast of even average performers, the film would not have hit nearly the poignant and unforgettable heights that it ultimately did.
Overwhelming positives aside, The Innocents was not quite perfect, sporting a couple noticeable (but surely forgivable) flaws. While Fontaine and her three other co-writers — Pascal Bonitzer, Sabrina B. Karine, and Alice Vial — undoubtedly portrayed the personal struggle of these women to near perfection, the historical perspective involved was generally overlooked and underwritten. Given the vast instability of late 1945 Poland, with the Holocaust just ending and Soviet occupation looming oppressively over the country, it seemed natural that more of the narrative focus would fall on the political consequences surrounding the events that took place. On top of that, the writers made the critical error of wrapping the entirety of the plot up in an all-too-convenient bow in the final ten minutes, displacing a natural and realistic conclusion of greater thematic significance with one where everything just sort of works out. Whereas every decision in the plot made up to that point felt completely justified, the very end was both unearned and utterly out-of-place.
Though flawed, Les Inocentes (as it was entitled in France, its home country of release) was, for the majority of its runtime, an equal parts uplifting and remarkably brutal experience. In an industry dominated by financially-motivated decisions — sequels, reboots, unoriginal tropes, etc. — few filmmakers would ever dare approach such a little known and un-flashy subject, especially one featuring an all-female cast of characters. Fontaine, however, not only tells this story, but does so with a rare level of confidence and control that is typically seen in only the most experienced of directors. And in that, she has crafted one of the most unforgettable filmgoing experiences of the year.
Four stars (out of five).
