VIsions of Ecstasy - Lilith Likes to Watch Nunvember 2022

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Title: Visions of Ecstasy
Year: 1989

Starring: Louise Downie, Elisha Scott, Dan Fox.

Director: Nigel Wingrove

Synopsis: The 16th century Carmelite nun St. Teresa, surrounded by candles and crosses, fantasizes about making love to a crucified Christ and her own psyche. - via Letterboxd.com

Lilith's Notes: The only film to be refused certification by the British Board of Film Classification.

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As we leave spooky, sinful season behind us, we jump into piety. We wish to absolve ourselves of the filth we saw and sampled during our Halloween parties and atone, worship, and beg big Cloud Daddy to forgive us, or punish us if He sees fit to do so.

That’s right.

Get out your rosary and crucifixes. It’s time once again for...

NUNVEMBER!

Last Nunvember we began with a smooth transition between Halloween and November with a short film called Possession which we absolutely loved. It was sweet, and brief, and contained a lot of writhing.

As great as it was, my one complaint was that it was indeed short. Which makes it perfect for a double-feature!

Visions of Ecstasy is the perfect chaser for Possession, or the other way around.

Visions of Ecstasy follows Saint Teresa of Avila (Played by Louise Downie), as she fantasizes about Jesus Christ (Played by Dan Fox). She pierces the palm of her hand to give her the wounds of Jesus, and she licks her blood and touches herself. She rolls around on the floor of her church, covering her body and nun frock in soft blood. She marvles at her self-inflicted wound, cradling her palm close to her heart. She throws around candles, laps wine from the floor like a vampire and offers her body and her love to her God.

Then, in a dark room, a being (Played by Elisha Scott) crawls through a black hallway, contorting in subtle but interesting ways, a prime example of the exotic ways the human body can move. She is St. Theresa’s psyche and she creeps up to St. Theresa, who is clad in white and bound in chains.

The psyche pets and strokes the bound St. Teresa while the nun sees herself before Jesus on the cross. She tends to his wounds and mounts him as her own psyche administers eroticisms.

After exploring his body, St. Teresa mounts Jesus Christ. Her hand rests over his, still nailed to the cross, and their fingers entwine.

I’m not fooling myself. All this is, is touching, groping, and kissing. There’s no penetration, the most subtle hints of grinding, and good costuming. The story requires a map to follow, which is found in the cast credits. I would have not been able to follow this had not the characters been named.

All that said, it is hot, but much of that is due to the subject matter. Sacrilege is sexy. Blasphemy is sexy. A nun rolling around in her own blood can be sexy. Chains and bloodstained whimples and riding Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while he’s still nailed on the cross are all sexy ideas.

But, maybe this isn’t porn? Maybe it’s just blasphemy? And that’s alright.

Could this have gone farther? Absolutely. Digital penetration, oral, all the obvious go-to moves for porn. The most titillating thing about this short film is that it was refused any sort of certifcation or rating by the British Board of Film Classification, and was banned or underground for twenty years. Even though we can view Visions of Ecstasy on Amazon Prime or Kanopy, there was a time where just the fact one has the means to view it wasan act of transgression.

There’s a reason forbidden fruit tastes so good.

Best Moment: At one point, Psyche traces and caresses St. Teresa's belly button with a finger and it’s one of the most erotic things in the whole film.

Worst Moment: It should have dared to get a little more explicit.

LILITH'S SCORE: 4/5

Until next time, my voracious voyeurs. I’m Lilith, and I’m always watching.