Benedetta

2021
12
2h 11m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

28K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:12

Period Drama Biography Drama Romance

A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love aff... Read allA 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

28K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,205

400

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins & 21 nominations total

Videos4

Photos206

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Production ended November 2018, and the film was initially scheduled for release at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, but in December 2018, director Paul Verhoeven had to undergo surgery for a hip injury suffered due to the set's location, which involved lots of hills and climbing. Post-production in Amsterdam had to be delayed until June 2019 to allow time for him to recover from his surgery. However, subsequent complications from pain medication caused an intestinal obstruction that ended in a life-threatening colon perforation; fortunately, Verhoeven's wife urged him to go to the hospital in time. Verhoeven and producer Saïd Ben Saïd agreed to delay the release to 2020 in order for Verhoeven to recover, and be fully present during the post-production process. Verhoeven still credits his editor Job ter Burg for finishing much of the film on his own while he himself was recovering and unable to attend. Eventually, the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic caused the movie to be delayed for another year.

Goofs
After the nuncio has demonstrated the pear of anguish, it is nearly closed again, but when he hands it to the torturer it is suddenly opened.

Quotes
Benedetta: Pride is a sin.
Soeur Jacopa: We're all entitled to a sin. What's yours?

Connections
Featured in Javo & Temoc: Top 10 Películas: Lo "mejor" del año (2022)

Soundtracks
Favus Distillans
Written by Hildegard von Bingen
Arranged by Anne Dudley

User reviews129

Featured review

8/10

Strong, Relevant and Mysterious

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.