In seventeenth-century Italy, a nun, Benedetta (Virginie Efira), struggles with the fact that she’s a lesbian. When Bartholomea (Daphne Patakia) enters the convent, Benedetta realizes her urges and struggles to come to terms with them. When a forbidden relationship ensues, the two women struggle to conceal what they have. As the affair continues, they must find a way to come to terms with who they are and suffer the consequences or be dishonest to themselves.
Benedetta’s synopsis prepares viewers for a sexually-charged film, and, in many ways, that’s what they get. However, the prowess of this cast allows other aspects of the film to shine through brightly. The cinematography is spectacular. The essence of the film as a whole is captured gracefully, but the sex scenes are the most prominent aspect of the entire film, as the narrative centers on the relationship between Benedetta and Bartholomea.
Benedetta serves a purpose, but it’s only arousal. I’m not sure if any other aspect of the film is relevant (even the well executed ones), as it appeals to the world’s sexual urges, but cinematically it doesn’t hold much water. In some ways Benedetta is fun, but you have to be part of a niche group of individuals to appreciate what is being done. I appreciate the fact that the film is taboo, and the content doesn’t take away from what the film provides in other ways, but, ultimately, sex is the driving force behind this film. There are discussions regarding the plague, and Benedetta attempts to explore the flaws of the Catholic church–but these aspects of the film never really develop in an appropriate fashion. Ultimately the narrative feels a tad wishy-washy, even somewhat convoluted as it tries to incorporate different storylines and disguise what it actually is.
Those flimsy narrative pieces that exist throughout Benedetta eventually come to a head toward the end of the film and begin to make a bit more sense to viewers, however, it’s too late. They have already been lost on viewers at this point, to the point that they seem irrelevant, and the ending ultimately feels unimportant.
I’m not convinced that Benedetta was developed for any reason other to titillate viewers in the sexual sense. Interestingly enough this film is based on a true story, and I suppose, in some ways, it was meant to educate viewers on this real-life scenario. However, once again, sex is the vehicle by which the story is told, and it takes precedence over every other aspect of the film.
This is not a family film, this is not a film for cinephiles, and realistically, this film will appeal to a very small group of individuals. Great sound and cinematography exists throughout Benedetta, but the narrative is harrowing, slow-moving, and sometimes difficult to get through. The sexual nature of the film is the driving force behind Paul Verhoeven’s film, and that’s ultimately what will attract viewers and keep them present throughout.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Written by David Birke, Paul Verhoeven, Judith C. Brown, & Pascal Bontizer.
Starring Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphne Patakia, Lambert Wilson, Olivier Rabourdin, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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