Léon Morin, prêtre

Léon Morin, Priest

Jean-Pierre Melville bares his soul with this sublime tale of theology and repressed desire, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.

  • Director

    Jean-Pierre Melville

  • With

    Jean-Paul Belmondo, Emmanuelle Riva, Irène Tunc, Howard Vernon

  • France-Italy 1961. 115min

  • Digital 4K

  • Certificate

    PG

  • English subtitles

Set in Nazi-occupied France, Melville’s remarkable film centres on the relationship between a local young priest and a widow who is an avowed atheist and communist. Superb performances, from Jean-Paul Belmondo as the original ‘hot priest’ and Hiroshima mon amour star Emmanuelle Riva as a woman navigating transgressive desires, make the most of the subtle, sensitive script. It remains a fascinating outlier in Melville’s crime-laden filmography.

Diana Cipriano

The screening of Léon Morin, prêtre on Tuesday 27 January will be introduced by season curator Diana Cipriano.