The Secret Scripture

"Love is not a sin."

2017 1h 48m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 334

DramaRomance

Synopsis

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The hidden memoir of an elderly woman confined to a mental hospital reveals the history of her passionate yet tortured life, and of the religious and political upheavals in Ireland during the 1920s and 30s.

“Love is not a sin.”

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Cast

Rooney Mara
Young Roseanne McNulty
Theo James
Father Gaunt
Vanessa Redgrave
Old Roseanne McNulty
Eric Bana
Dr. William Grene
Jack Reynor
Michael Eneas
Aidan Turner
Jack McNulty
Susan Lynch
Nurse
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
McCabe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim Sheridan
Writers: Jim Sheridan, Johnny Ferguson
Languages: German, English
Countries: Ireland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim Sheridan, shot by Mikhail Krichman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brian Byrne. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dermot Diskin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rooney Mara and Theo James and Vanessa Redgrave carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Love is not a sin.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3344694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim Sheridan directs. Mikhail Krichman behind the camera. Brian Byrne scores. Dermot Diskin cuts. Produced in Ireland. Dialogue in German, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 9 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.
3Directed by Jim Sheridan, shot by Mikhail Krichman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Brian Byrne. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Dermot Diskin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Rooney Mara and Theo James and Vanessa Redgrave carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Love is not a sin.".
8IMDB entry: tt3344694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mikhail Krichman
Original score: Brian Byrne
Editing: Dermot Diskin
Production design: Derek Wallace
Costume design: Joan Bergin
Makeup / hair: Aideen Bates
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $152,761
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Secret Scripture (2017)

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Jim Sheridan

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2018-02-04
★ 8/10
The never-ending struggle for women in the male dominated world! This is a surprise film. Almost my favourite. Because I don't know when the last time I wetted my eyes. I'm not ashamed to say that I love sentimental films. This was not like a thorough tearjerker, but it gets there at some point. It was like I have been waiting for such film a very long time, so that I ended up liking it more than I was anticipating. An Irish-English language film with a wonderful cast. Because of those actors I have watched it, despite it was not promoted big like the Hollywood films. It's not in the mainstream films list. That's why not many people do not know about this film. Rooney Mara's one of the best performances. The remaining cast too had big roles, but was not powerful as hers. Films has genres, books has genres, but not all of those works converted to each other form works out. This is such a rare genre where both formats triumphs. Watching this film is almost as experience of reading the book. You know those literatures explaining the events, character deeply, emotionally, that's quite matching in this film with beautiful locations and nice background score. The suspense kept me expecting every moment of my watch. The end twist was not that difficult, but not all the viewers can predict it easily. It is a tale from the first half of the 20th century. But most of it was split into early and the later events. Overwhelmed by the flashback, the film reveals an old and a last woman in a mental asylum to evacuate the building to a new location. So those last moments of her stay in there, she explains why she's refusing to leave. -xX] There's a sickness in people that stops them seeing the truth. [Xx- A doctor from another place is now reviewing her case, has to go through her story to understand the situation and act accordingly, that's accompanied by a nurse. So she reveals her secret romance when she was young, when the whole town turned against her. Particularly a young priest. How she had ended up in the mental hospital, and after 40 years, now denying to leave the building. The story ends emotionally. The film was like the mix of 'The Little Prince' and 'Neverwas'. Because the reality and the other way around were nicely put together. Only it all were told from the grown up's perspective. They are showing something means does not you have to believe it. So it all comes to the final twist, how it ends by revealing what. No doubt if it resembles someone's real life, perhaps in the past, because in the earlier centuries, such fate, particularly for women is so common. That's where it's heart-wrenching. A perfect title for what it narrated. The older version of the lead role was too well performed. The romance part was short, but mystery extended till the final scene. Overall, the focus given to what to narrate and what not were nicely done. A very satisfying film, glad that I saw it. I don't know everybody would like it as much I did, but surely worth a try. Since the story was told from a woman's point of view about her struggle in the men dominated world, they might like it better than others. Because, as I know in the recent, the women's empowerment rising to equal men than never before. All I say is, just watch it! 8.5/10

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