Review of The Magdalene Sisters (2002) by John A — 31 Dec 2008

'The Magdalene Sisters' is the harrowing tale of four girls trapped by their faith and circumstances into a world of punishment and sin. It was attacked by the Catholic League for being extremely anti-Catholic and theatrical, but director Peter Mullan doesn't so much attack the religion as the contextualised institutions themselves. Some true life inmates have even reported the film barely touches the horrific reality of the Magdalene asylums.

Mullan humanises the victims with the partially fictionalised stories of three girls; Margaret, Bernadette and Rose. Their apparent 'crimes' against God cast shame and embarassment on families, and lead to their virtual imprisonment in one of the Magdalene laundries. The place brims with sadism, hypocrisy and physical and mental torture.

This is the kind of film where a review is near pointless; words like 'unflinching' and 'disturbing' can be thrown about, but only felt to the bone through naked viewing. Mullan's understated direction summons a chilling atmosphere, layered with the girls desperation to find solace and hope that they will be rescued.

But the Sisters of the laundry run a tyrannical regime, and several scenes show with a natural horror the cruel ruthlessness in which the nuns would embarass, shame and punish these young women. Many had done little wrong, but were told they needed saving; even thinking sinful thoughts would close the gates of Heaven to them for eternity. The tension of Margaret's stealthy escape sequence immediately dissapates when she realises, in a moment, she has nowhere to go. The walls may block her physical escape, but the order of the Sisters ensures she would be shunned by the outside world.

The tale culiminates with the melancholy story of fellow inmate Crispina, who suffers from a mental disability. Bernadette gets through the days by enforcing explicit rebellion; Rose, shy and unsure, is meekly obedient. Margaret, on the other hand, is a fighter for justice, and works hard to look after Crispina during her stay. Unfortunately, while the three main story threads are tinged with a final note of hope, Crispina suffers a far worse fate.

Geraldine McEwan's performance as Mother Superior is one of frightening ferocity, but the lack of balance is Mullan's flaw; the script offers little insight into her mind, and whether she truly believes what she is doing will save the souls of these forsaken girls. With no perspective to work from McEwan still rivets in her one-trick-pony role, but the film suffers for it's narrowed vision.

Yet 'The Magdalene Sisters' is certainly a compelling and necessary motion picture; the corruption of authority is an issue that can never be addressed too often, and according to accounts the heads of the Irish Catholic Church did little to help the plight and suffering of these girls. Learning the last laundry closed in 1996 is a shocking revelation to modern society, and a sad testament to those Sisters who refused to move along with the times.