This is a quite disturbing, damning and compelling story; clearly with some basis in fact, about the appalling treatment of young ?fallen? women by their own kin and a system supposedly created to help and support them.

The film starts in an upbeat fashion with a most delightful yet haunting musical number performed by a priest at a wedding reception. It soon gets ugly when one of the guests (Margaret) is raped at the previously happy occasion, and we soon get an idea of the morality of the film when Margaret is sentenced to purgatory for bringing shame upon her family?s good name - for Heaven?s sake, she?s the victim, yet she is the one to suffer!

Her story is followed by similarly cruel social mores causing the incarceration of two other young ladies - Rose (an unmarried mother) and Bernadette (a flirtatious orphan) into the ?care? of an Order of Mary Magdalene laundry in Ireland. This all happens before the film?s title is revealed. We later meet up with a fourth young lady who is already an inmate - Crispina, who will become quite central to the storyline later in the film, and one who is certainly the sorriest victims of this outrage.

It is clear that to be raped/orphaned/young, pregnant and be deserted by the father/or be mildly promiscuous was enough for parents/carers, and the church, to condemn these poor wretches to a fate quite unimaginable to any reasonable human. As such, it is a dreadful indictment of the Catholic Church, and of society of the times. Please don?t forget that this film is set in the late 1950s and early 1960s!

The order was founded on the philosophy that Mary Magdalene (a prostitute in biblical times) found her faith, and atoned for her sins by prayer, cleanliness and hard work for the rest of her days. In this case, the detainees were held against their will (for no pay) often for the rest of their lives doing basic laundry work that is rather stark to imagine (I will not expand on some of the duties, being a male!). There was no apparent remission available - once incarcerated there was little chance of freedom - unless the unfortunate?s immediate family was willing to forgive. As is rather disturbingly shown towards the end of the film, the acceptance by the family or a family member of the ?lost soul? back to the fold was enough to get one?s freedom, so the parents remain as damned as the church in this outrage. It is also made abundantly clear that the church, through the order, had a nice little ?earner? through this arrangement.

Among the forms of discipline meted out to inmates were humiliation (both psychological and physical), life in virtual silence, brainwashing and bashings. The demeanour of the nuns of the Order ranged from indifference to sadism, and this attitude definitely started from the top (Sister Bridget). It was clear that this tyranny was quite effective, evidenced by the actions of the older detainees who had lost their desire for freedom and clearly had become the lackeys of the nuns - even justifying their behaviour; and the younger inmates who continued to trust in the faith that was allowing this abhorrence to continue. We even see Margaret - faced with the opportunity of escape - not taking the opportunity, knowing the consequences that could follow (she did, though, have some unfinished business to settle).

It would be wrong to say that all of the main victims were innocent little angels worthy of undying sympathy - indeed the character Bernadette is quite an obnoxious little creature. She?s particularly self-centred, devious and cold hearted (despite a gorgeous pair of eyes!). The other victims tended to display some humanity and dignity to a degree. However, being based on fact, the overwhelming emotional effect of this film is one of hoping that some justice will prevail.

The film ended in the best possible way - there was no ?made up? happy ending; we get a short follow-up on each of the inmates who gained their freedom through some means; and we get a very short rundown on the fate of the Order?s chain of laundries. Add to this was the fact that the harshness of conditions inherent in the day-to-day running of the laundry was not ?Hollywood-ised?, so that the de-humanising inflicted on the inmates was ?felt? rather than seen. The film also contained a (very) small amount of levity to help break up the bleakness of the storyline.

Overall, the characters are all quite believable, and the cast (all previously unknown to me) are particularly capable in their roles. I particularly have to praise the performance of Eileen Walsh in the role of Crispina. She has been given a tough role combing the whole range of emotions - from joy to madness - and to me she steals the show after some uneven dialogue early on. Just watch her last scene - it?s not only convincing, it?s positively harrowing.

For me to be so impressed with a movie as recent as this (2002) is highly unusual. I highly recommend this to anyone with an ounce of social conscience, an interest in human nature, and clear social justice values. Congratulations all round on a marvellous filmmaking achievement!

THE EXTRAS

I noted in the end credits that the film was inspired by a documentary entitled ?Sex in a Cold Climate?. Though the title of the documentary does not seem to infer its relevance to the plot of this movie, I will be looking out for it at all costs!

Sadly, there are no extra features apart from audio set up and scene selection menus, plus theatrical trailer. This is another one of those scarce occasions when a movie fully justifies some extra features - such is the gravity of the (fact based?) storyline, a featurette providing an historical background to the Order?s history would have been the ?icing on the cake?. I would have even listened to an audio commentary!

CONCLUSION

This is a rather bleak and unpleasant tale of the fate that could befall ?unfortunate? women in mid-20th Century Ireland (and elsewhere?) because of absurd societal values and a welfare system that simply didn?t care. It is a tale that must be told, and seen.