Benedetta

At the age of 83, it is wonderful to see Paul Verhoeven mojo's still on fire after all these years. His latest offering Benedetta (2021), a provocative lesbian affair in a 17th-century nunnery set amidst the bubonic plague is more than erotic drama as Verhoeven manages to mix dogmas of faith & superstition in the narrative. It definitely lives up to its billing as one of his best film, exceptionally well made all around and stays true to form throughout. Along the way, it has a true and sad story to tell, but it is an entertaining film with funny characters and Jesus Christ cameo with a sword-slinging fight sequence. The film might feel inconsistent in its satire on the Catholic Church but it definitely hits hard where it counts. The best is in the 2nd half, there is an intriguing balance between the satire and the obscene, waddling constantly between the two, with wild moments.

The film has few shortcomings, but they are completely outweighed by its main advantage - cinematography, soundtrack and the wacky screenplay. On the acting side we have a stable interpretive work of all those involved, but the one who stands out the most is Virginie Efirahas, some of the best acting of the year.

Overall, 'Benedetta' is an Paul Verhoeven movie at its best. It is a mischievous film in the very spirit of Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) and Nunsploitation classics. It might feel off-putting before becoming entertaining and it succeeds in doing this in all aspects.

Some film critics in Greece thought that this movie is a hybrid of parody and satire in its attitude towards organized religion. I disagree. Although the treatment of religious themes is rather blasphemous by pietistic standards the amount of human misery and suffering portrayed does not allow the viewer to conceive the movie as satire at least solely as such. Surely the religious visions and the sexual adventures of Benedetta treat religion irreverently but the consequences for her and her protégé Bartolomea have nothing humorous about them. In that time, unlike ours - at least in the West- no jokes were allowed concerning religion.

Misery, violence, intrigue abound in the plot and lust, although explicit, is just one of the sins portrayed. Ambition, struggle for power and precedence, avarice are the prevailing motives of the characters. Christian charity pales before those demonic passions although it is not totally absent.

The plight of the poor, the intrigues of the powerful, the omnipresence of the plague, the violence of the soldiery offer a bleak picture of society. One is reminded of Flesh and Blood by the same director situated in about the same historical period. Both have a central heroine with superb survival skills to help her navigate through insurmountable adversities.

Humour and satire exist but the general atmosphere is so ominous, so laden with menace, violence and disease that you are left saddened with the misery inherent in the human experience of 17nth century Tuscany. Nothing betrays the artistic splendour of the Renaissance, just a bleak struggle for survival and mastery, for power and precedence, for wealth and prestige where Christianity is used to serve those ulterior motives.

It is a sad movie. That said Virginie Efira and Daphne Patakia are gorgeous both artistically and sexually. But I think Charlotte Rampling in the role of the abbess gives the more memorable performance as a character full of ambiguity and contradictions. Lambert Wilson shines as the satanic nuncio although his character is rather flat in his evil propensities.

The costumes and the representation of the era are superb and the religious visions of Benedetta are far-fetched and subversive. Pietistic believers are going to be offended and will probably say: would he dare to do the same with Muslim religious symbols? But I do not think that the movie is anti-Christian. It shows how lofty ideals are used by flawed humans to further very earthly ambitions.

It is true though that without divine solace the society portrayed by Benedetta would be impossible to live in. Watch the movie and form your own opinion.

Benedetta is a take on a real life story about a young woman in the middle ages who believes so wholeheartedly in Jezus and the love of God, that around her, mysterious stuff happens. What follows is a film that does not shy away from both controversy and visceral body action, while all the time, keeping the mystery alive, and occasionally even poking great fun at the subject.

Benedetta is put in the House of God with nuns and priests who do not really seem to believe in the divine themselves, setting up for conflict in religion and faith. This being a Verhoeven film, we get to see everything, including sex between nuns, which is not really a spoiler, since it made the film instantly infamous.

For a Verhoeven film, the sex and violence is actually mild, which isn't to say it's not prominent. But it's the underlying story that makes it truly interesting: how does a woman with such devotion, love and sex appeal, fair in the horridly abusive culture of the Church in the middle ages? Does she overcome it? And is she truly blessed by God or not?

I'll leave that for you to discover yourself. I will say without giving anything away, that the acting and directing is done with ferocious passion and conviction, that the film covers all emotions and feels accurate in its depiction of this historic woman her life.

Again, Verhoeven delivers.

It's hard to tell if this movie is trying to be realistic while implying some messages on religious hypocrisy, delusion and desires, or if it's just trying to be a fantasy, or even satirical. But it's definitely compelling, exciting and entertaining. It's provocative, crazy and might be annoying to some. Lead performance is solid.

The basic virtue of film is its high realism. Sure, exposed with the tools of Paul Verhoeven. A film about faith, power, manipulation, survive, leadership and a splendid portrait of counter reformation atmosphere, from innocence to faith as refuge , from the discover of lust to the dark side of a person appartaining to one world.

The second virtue can be the impecable work of Charlotte Rampling as Mother Felicita.

Not the less, the performance of Daphne Patakia , remembering, at the first look, Rosalinda Celentano in the Passion Of Christ, mixing wildness and profound innocence, lovely simplicity and fears .

About Virginia Efira , her beauty seems for me the basic tool to build the character. I do not ignore the performance but the beauty represents just the axis for give a fair portrait of Beneditta.

The statue of Holy Virgin was, I admitt, a serious motif to be scandalized . But, in same measure, I see its use as a portrait of lost of the innocence of childhood.

I am conscient than I saw this film as Greek Orthodox Christian . The Catholic world, in so many stories, is discovered in this film almost scene by scene. That is the reason for who I admired its realism. Because it is a panel with so familiar pieces defining, sure, in popular mind, Catholicism.

A beautiful film, having as sin the not most inspired construction of visions. But, sure, the message is the significant one and the large gallery of portraits , few like Mother Jacopa being useful for remind, as delicate sketch, not comfortable truths.