The scene in which Juana Ines de la Cruz confesses to her "sinful" ways and asks for
     forgiveness from God and Church is constructed by Bemberg with precision and
     craftsmanship.  Placed at the end of the movie (1:41:50), this scene offers at least two
     readings: a "mainstream" reading and a more subversive one, where a close analysis of the way
     in which the director uses the mise-en-scene (setting and lighting) yields a surprising
     conclusion.  I intend to argue that Bemberg subverts history (or what is known of it) in order
     to bring to light a harsh critique of patriarchy and its controlling and confining spaces reserved
     for women....

     Like the entire film, the scene in which Sor Juana indulges the company of the clergy and
     scholars in the dark quarters of the convent is meaningfully constructed down to the minutest
     detail.  This scene up for analysis gives hidden clues as to the conclusion of the movie where
     Sor Juana experiences a shift in character, when she, as Irina Negrea says, “confesses to her
     ‘sinful’ ways and asks for forgiveness from GOD and Church” (1:41:50).  In this earlier
     portion of film (28:04), Sor Juana’s actions reveal to the viewer a manner of self-indulgence, a
     trait from which nuns vow to absolve themselves during the wedding ceremony to the
     Church....