Un amour interdit (1984)

Lyrical in nature and obtuse in meaning, Jean-Pierre Dougnac’s arthouse drama Un Amour interdit (1984) sketches the contours of a taboo love affair with smoldering intensity. Nineteen years old at the time of filming, the radiant Emmanuelle Béart plays a devout Catholic schoolgirl who develops an infatuation with a nun at a nearby convent (Brigitte Fossey). Both women grow euphoric at the realization of their shared sexual attraction, but the rigid restrictions of Church doctrine keep them from fully pursuing their desires. Somebody needs to talk to the Pope about waiving this particular clause, because there’s no point in keeping the pouty-lipped Béart so pent up. Together with costar Agostina Belli, Béart steals the show by putting her alluring flesh on screen for all to savor.