A 700-year-old comedy about nuns and witches is still relatable today
In short: How does a 14th-century collection of bawdy novellas translate into a modern black comedy? By focusing on the messy, human reality of desire and transgression. Director Jeff Baena traded a traditional screenplay for a detailed outline, allowing an ensemble cast to improvise their way through medieval chaos.
The Little Hours (2017) is loosely based on the third day of Giovanni Boccaccio's 'The Decameron,' a 14th-century collection of novellas. While the source material is nearly 700 years old, director Jeff Baena aimed to capture its 'spirit'—a mix of wit, humanity, and bawdy humor. To achieve this, the film utilizes modern dialogue and heavy improvisation based on a twenty-page treatment, rather than a rigid screenplay. This approach was intended to make the medieval characters feel relatable to contemporary audiences, connecting viewers to the underlying human emotions of the era.
The story depicts a servant called Massetto, a regional circle of witches, and several nuns residing in the Tuscan countryside. Massetto, who flees his master and pretends to be a deaf-mute gardener to find work at a convent, becomes a catalyst for the various characters' internal journeys. For the three main nuns—played by Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, and Aubrey Plaza—Massetto serves as a symbol for discovering hidden aspects of themselves. The plot weaves through themes of carnal desire, fertility rituals involving belladonna, and the social dynamics of the 14th century.
The production was shaped by specific aesthetic and personal choices. Cinematographer Quyen Tran drew visual inspiration from 14th-century art, which often features wide, stacked shots with significant action in a single frame. This style helped capture the improvised performances of the ensemble cast. Additionally, the title 'The Little Hours' was a suggestion from Aubrey Plaza, who recalled the term referring to minor prayer hours. Despite the film's focus on sexual transgression, it received generally positive reviews and successfully navigated the complexities of adapting a controversial historical text for a modern audience.
The film was also a conscious effort by Baena to balance gender dynamics. After his previous film 'Joshy' was noted for its 'masculine energy,' he intentionally sought to feature a cast of strong women. This resulted in a production where the primary character arcs were driven by female perspectives, reflecting the subversive nature of the original Boccaccio stories.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Little Hours
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