The Nun's Story

As Gabrielle "Gaby" Van Der Mal (Audrey Hepburn) donned the habit of Sister Luke, she embarked on a journey that would test her faith, obedience, and sense of purpose. The daughter of a prominent Belgian surgeon, Hubert (Dean Jagger), Gaby had always felt an calling to serve others, particularly in the African Congo. Under the watchful eye of Mother Superior (Edith Evans), Sister Luke underwent the rigors of postulancy and novitiate, where she first confronted the tension between her own desires and the vow of obedience.

As she navigated the challenges of her training, Gaby's determination to prove herself led her to excel in her studies, earning high marks and sparking a quiet rebellion against the Mother Superior's request to intentionally fail her final exam as a display of humility. This subtle act of defiance would later come back to haunt her, as Sister Luke found herself assigned to a European mental hospital instead of the Congo, where she was forced to confront the harsh realities of violence and despair.

The trauma she faced at the hands of a patient with psychosis (Colleen Dewhurst) left Gaby shaken, but it was only the first of many trials she would face. As she struggled to come to terms with her own shame and disobedience, Sister Luke ultimately took her solemn vows, only to be dispatched to the Congo, where she discovered that her tropical medicine skills would go largely unused in a segregated hospital catering to European patients.

It was here that she formed a complex bond with the brilliant, yet atheistic surgeon Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch), whose respect for Sister Luke's nursing abilities and compassion was matched only by his frustration at her spiritual struggles. As Gaby's health began to falter due to tuberculosis, Fortunati engineered a treatment plan that would allow her to remain in the Congo, rather than being forced to convalesce in Europe.

After recovering and returning to work, Sister Luke found herself once again torn between her duty and her desire. Forced to accompany a VIP who had become mentally unstable, she was sent back to Belgium, where she spent a period of quiet reflection at the motherhouse in Brussels before being assigned to a local hospital in anticipation of the impending war in Europe. As the world around her began to unravel, Sister Luke faced the daunting prospect of having to adapt once again, but this time in the face of uncertainty and chaos.

As Sister Luke navigates the complexities of her new posting, she finds herself torn between her duty to obey and her growing sense of disillusionment with the harsh realities of Nazi-occupied territory. The weight of her father's brutal demise at the hands of the oppressors weighs heavily on her conscience, making it increasingly difficult for her to reconcile her faith with the cruel world around her. Her once-steadfast commitment to her vows begins to waver as she is repeatedly forced to make compromises that erode her sense of purpose and moral certitude.

As the strain becomes too great to bear, Sister Luke reaches a breaking point, ultimately seeking solace in a radical transformation. With a heavy heart, she petitions for, and is granted, dispensation from her vows, marking a profound shift in her identity and trajectory. The camera pans out as she shed her nun's habit, exchanging it for the humble attire of the layperson, before slipping unnoticed out of the convent through a rear exit, leaving behind the only life she had ever known.