A gay subtext was more obvious in the 1960 Furio Monicelli source novel, about life in an austere Venetian island seminary. But it would have been a distraction from this measured study of the psychological pressures imposed by enclosure, which director Costanzo already explored to excellent effect in Private.
The routine of contemplation, prayer and self-realisation is so intense that novitiate Christo Jivkov is tempted to seek solace from the perceived hostility of his superiors by speculating about the crises facing fellow priests-to-be Fausto Russo Alesi and Filippo Timi.
Brilliantly conveying the enormity of surrendering the self, this is a religious film with universal relevance.