Temptation

Post-war Poland in the tightening grip of the Communist authorities is the setting for this sombre drama of faith from a contemporary of Agnieszka Holland. Cielecka is the young nun moved to a rural detention centre, where she re-encounters an interned cardinal for whom she's long had a secretive burning passion. As their military overseers try to play both sides off against each other, the notion of confession takes on both spiritual and political meanings as personal, theological and ideological imperatives vie for supremacy. Although the performances milk every nuance from Sass's careful screenplay, the avoidance of overt melodramatics and the predominant tones of grey are a constant reminder of the worthiness of the material.