The Night Heaven Fell (1958)

Fresh from the cloistered confines of the convent, young and innocent Ursula de Fonte is thrust into a world of passion, betrayal, and bloody vengeance when she goes to live with her Aunt Florentine and Uncle, Count Miguel de Ribera, on their sprawling estate in the heart of Spain. The rustic tranquillity of this rural idyll quickly unravels as Ursula is plunged into the heart of a local tragedy, one where the echoes of a sister's suicide and accusations of sexual assault cast long, sinister shadows over the count's honor. The fulcrum of this tragedy is the fiery village youth, Lambert, who blames the count for his sister's untimely demise. A brutal duel of honor ensues, leaving Lambert severely wounded and the count's reputation precariously restored. Amidst the tumult, an unexpected spark ignites between the gently-nurtured Ursula and the beaten yet defiant Lambert. Her newfound role as his nurse blossoms into a clandestine love, a love that becomes a dangerous cocktail of deceit when she discovers that Lambert is also her aunt's secret lover. The twisted dance of deception reaches a fever pitch when the count stumbles upon his wife's betrayal. A deadly confrontation ensues, culminating in Lambert killing the count in an act of self-defense. Torn between love and loyalty, Ursula aids Lambert in his desperate flight, an act that triggers her aunt's jealousy and rage, thus catapulting them into a relentless chase by the law enforcement. In the midst of this maelstrom, Ursula and Lambert's forbidden love story unfurls, a tempestuous tale that dances on the knife-edge of danger, engulfed by the shadow of tragedy. The Night Heaven Fell is a riveting journey of passion, betrayal, and revenge set against the evocative backdrop of rural Spain in the 1950s.

The Night Heaven Fell is a crime movie featuring Brigitte Bardot.

The Night Heaven Fell is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.