The film informs us right from the start of what we're getting into. One could reasonably say it's the type of flick we got from the late 60s and into the 70s that dabbled with conceptions of horror and aimed to shock and offend with some of its scenes, but never particularly invoked strong feelings; one could reasonably say that "B-movie" is a generous descriptor, and a letter further into the Latin alphabet would be more appropriate. One could also say that 'La papesse' almost immediately inspires as the type of fare that may have been skewered on 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' at some point along the line, perhaps back to back with 'Psyched by the 4-D witch.' This isn't to say that there aren't any good ideas here (there are), and I'm sure someone with an unusually stringent moral outlook and delicate sensibility may indeed be shocked by some of the imagery. Yet the kinship this 1975 picture shares is readily apparent, not least with its attempt at trippy visuals and a certain psychedelic ethos (including, in theory, Éric Demarsan's music). All of which is fine, except that what often comes across instead is that the film doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you stop to think about it for even a moment; filmmaker Mario Mercier definitely cared more about the "intensity" of the imagery, and the awe factor, than any aspect of the writing.
There are little moments scattered throughout that just have no purpose, such as a random act of violence against a lantern late in the first third. This dovetails neatly into some choices of editing and cinematography that were no doubt intended to amplify the intended effects noted above, but which instead raise a skeptical eyebrow. The broad strokes of the narrative are clear enough; the dialogue and scene writing oscillates between "good" and "what?" As one notable example, it's entirely unclear why or how Aline ever got together with Laurent in the first place. In all facets of the screenplay I can only repeat that I think there are some swell ideas that could have been used to serve a meaningfully creepy, gnarly genre flick - but to be honest, among other things, Mercier's direction is too weak and bare-faced to be able to achieve such goals. I think the acting is suitable, and to her credit Lisa Livane probably gives the best performance of anyone here. Yet between Mercier's writing and his direction, and the declination and/or failure to otherwise attain any desirable horror atmosphere, it's rather as if the cast is acting strictly in accordance with the instructions for a scene instead of any unified vision, so their portrayals don't count for much.
There's no mistaking how very low-budget 'La papesse' is, but still the feature looks and sounds good such as it is; other titles have done more with less. The practical effects are fairly decent, if modest, and any stunts. Excellent filming locations, and solid production design and art direction, are complemented by superb hair, makeup, and costume design. Some themes in Demarsan's score are better than others, but like compositions have been aptly used in similar fare. Really, in most regards this is reasonably well done; even as I pointedly disagree with some choices, I think editor Claudine Merlin and cinematographer Robert Schneider nonetheless turned in capable work overall. But still the movie is deeply troubled in those ways that matter most, and a host of potential and possibilities in the screenplay are outweighed by too many deficiencies or dubious facets, and overall meager execution. A dance ritual in the second act could have lent to the atmosphere of an earnest, carefully crafted horror film; here, it's almost laughable - and, astonishingly, this happens again in the last minutes, and it's worse to the point that one feels embarrassed for the actor. The plot at large feels unfocused, and this is never more so than in the last act, when it also feels especially flimsy. And in so many other cases, the notions brought forth in the writing wholly lack the power that they could and should have had in the finished result.
I don't specifically hold anything against Mercier, yet the fact remains that he just doesn't seem to have had what it takes to make compelling, satisfying genre fare. This almost comes across more as something that a large group of friends may have put together in their spare time without any experience otherwise, a home-grown exercise in the evident intent of making transgressive low-grade horror. (I say "almost" in that some elements really aren't half bad after all.) If a more practiced director had been involved in the production, the finished film would have been improved. If another pair of eyes or two had collaborated with Mercier on the screenplay to rework the flimsiest or most questionable inclusions, and to tighten the storytelling overall, the finished film would have been improved. I don't think it actually would have taken much to elevate 'La papesse' to a slightly higher level. Unfortunately, what we see is what we get, and what we get is a mixed bag with distinct flaws. There are far worse ways one could spend their time, and I'm not going to say this is entirely without value. For all those ways in which it struggles, however, there's no need to go out of your way for it, and for all the countless other titles one could watch instead, there's probably no need to watch this at any time. Oh well. Such is life.
