Under the Sun of Satan
A tormented rural priest finds a disturbing spiritual vocation through a troubled woman whose alleged crime exposes the limits of faith and the presence of evil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- brooding
- harrowing
- serious solitary viewing
- arthouse cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Maurice Pialat's austere religious drama as a powerful, difficult, and visually striking meditation on faith, sainthood, and evil.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pialat stages Donissan's priestly crisis and encounters with evil through restrained, flesh-and-blood performances and an insistence on the reality of events.
Donissan's overwrought spirituality gains purpose through his relationship with Mouchette and his struggle to understand sin, grace, and evil.
The film's coldly lit rural images and restrained staging make physical environments feel severe and spiritually charged.
Mouchette's accusation of murder and troubled presence provide the concrete crisis through which Donissan searches for purpose.
Films like Under the Sun of Satan, and why
The Silence
ascetic religious drama examining faith, evil, and spiritual crisis through austere visual storytelling
Diary of a Country Priest
French literary drama with severe moral inquiry, Catholic spirituality, and psychologically intense performances
Vagabond
bleak, contemplative French character study centered on religious conviction and existential suffering
The Turin Horse
formally rigorous drama where ambiguous spiritual forces press against secular realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Maurice Pialat
- Release Date
- 1987-08-01
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (139)
Cast
- Gérard Depardieu
- Sandrine Bonnaire
- Maurice Pialat
- Brigitte Legendre
- Alain Artur
- Yann Dedet
- Jean-Claude Bourlat
- Jean-Christophe Bouvet
- Philippe Pallut
- Marcel Anselin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Under the Sun of Satan about?
- A tormented rural priest finds a disturbing spiritual vocation through a troubled woman whose alleged crime exposes the limits of faith and the presence of evil.
- What is Under the Sun of Satan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Under the Sun of Satan as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Under the Sun of Satan violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Under the Sun of Satan as mild.
- What did critics think of Under the Sun of Satan?
- Critics broadly regard Maurice Pialat's austere religious drama as a powerful, difficult, and visually striking meditation on faith, sainthood, and evil.
- Which films are like Under the Sun of Satan?
- Films with a similar feel include The Silence, Diary of a Country Priest, Vagabond, and The Turin Horse.
- How long is Under the Sun of Satan?
- Under the Sun of Satan runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Under the Sun of Satan?
- In United States, Under the Sun of Satan is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
