Review of The Magdalene Sisters (2002) by Jean B — 01 Jul 2008

An excellent film but I couldn't give it 5 stars bc it's so depressing. It's the female version of "Shawshank Redemption" but based on a true story about Irish Catholic asylums for women, who gave birth to children out of wedlock, or who were thought to be likely candidates of single motherhood.

These asylums basically enslaved these women to work at laundries for no pay in a physically (merciless nuns), and often, sexually (pervy priests) abusive environment. I also watched the documentary in the special features section called "Sex in a Cold Environment" in which the 4 women who somehow survived the experienced.

.. and naturally, it's even sadder than the movie. The interviews gave me the same horrified feeling that I got from listening to Korean "comfort women" interviews. It's just flabbergasting that these establishments were in full force in the '60s and didn't become extinct until 1996.