In "Le Pacte du silence", Depardieu is a priest and a physician who is sent to tend to a beautiful young nun (Bouchez) who is suffering from abdominal pain. When he finds no cause for the pain and learns the nun's history and order are cloaked in secrecy he becomes suspicious and commits himself to unraveling the mystery behind the nun and her affliction. What ensues is a convoluted mess of a story which involves murder, voodoo, sympathetic physical manifestations, tragedy, and love. Though the film manages to sort itself out in the end and both Depardieu and Bouchez register solid performances, the story is obviously concocted, as difficult to follow as it is to swallow, and not as suspenseful as the musical score would have us believe. A so-so watch now on broadcast which will work best for Depardieu fans into mysteries involving the paranormal. (B-)
Review of The Pact of Silence
