Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Benedetta Blu-ray Movie Review

Women in prison.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 14, 2022

As hard as it is to watch, Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta is even harder to write about. It's an intensely challenging and ugly examination of 17th century Catholicism and its damning effects on just about everyone it touches, flying in the face of Christianity's false claim as the only path to true morality. Needless to say, this is a film almost guaranteed to ruffle feathers... so if you consider yourself unwilling to examine and possibly question your own beliefs, it's gonna be a long 131 minutes. Based on the historical account of lesbian nun Benedetta Carlini (1590-1661), Benedetta depicts the struggle for power in an Italian convent riddled with forbidden sexual desire, false witness, shame, misogyny, and more of organized religion's greatest hits. Blood will be shed, and almost no one will get away clean.

But considering its potentially scathing subject matter (not to mention Verhoeven's filmography, which includes such visceral fare as Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and of course Showgirls), Benedetta is a disarmingly straight and measured production that, if nothing else, avoids the typical cliché of heroes vs. villains... or in this case, the possibility of one saintly heroine against some kind of corrupt institution. We're first introduced to young Benedetta and her family on the road to Pescia where she hopes to join a convent; they're almost robbed by bandits, but she threatens them with punishment from the Virgin Mary herself, who young Benedetta supposedly communicates with. A bird intervenes, and it's the first of many times that her bold claims will be answered in an alarmingly ambiguous way.

Once Benedetta's father pays a large sum of money for the privilege of his daughter's admission, she's introduced to convent leader Abbess Felicita (Charlotte Rampling) and grows into a young woman (Virginie Efira). Soon, two events happen that change her life dramatically: a younger woman named Bartolomea (Daphne Patakia) joins their ranks to flee her sexually abusive father and brothers, and Benedetta begins to have intense spiritual visions that even carry physical consequences, such as sporadically bleeding stigmata wounds. Some are doubtful of Benedetta's newfound "gifts", including Abbess Felicita and her daughter Christina (Louise Chevillotte), while it's also strongly suspected that Benedetta and Bartolomea have entered into a physical relationship due to their unique emotional bond brought upon by the latter's abusive past. After a change in power at the convent, a higher authority figure is introduced with papal ambassador Alfonso (Lambert Wilson), who's brought in to investigate while outside forces, including the burgeoning Black Plague and a fiery comet sighting, play separate roles in the film's gradually unfolding narrative.

It's a densely dramatic journey, and one in which the idea of steadfast morality is thrown out the window as viewers will constantly struggle to find someone, anyone to root for. Almost every key character uses "God's will" for their own benefit, from personal to political, while Benedetta's deliberate balance of true (on-screen) events with ambiguous ones will keep first-time viewers guessing every step of the way. It's a subversive concoction that's perhaps best summarized in a brief exchange between Abbess Felicita and Benedetta during the film's first half, where the former recognizes her position of authority as part of "a game to be played". Felicita's apprentice has possibly known this for years (although perhaps hidden by the naivete of youth), so it's not long before the master is outplayed at every turn.

Verhoeven directs his source material (Immodest Acts, a 1986 novel by by Judith Brown) with the careful approach of a seasoned filmmaker, showing renewed confidence in just his fourth project since the financially successful but critically lambasted 2000 film Hollow Man and his first since 2016's Elle. And while it does contain its share of Verhoeven-brand camp, from copious fart jokes to those over-the-top religious visions, Benedetta is borderline restrained in comparison with the director's more mainstream American fare, toeing the line carefully between total knee-jerk exploitation and grounded (but still controversial) religious explorations like Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ.

Although it debuted more than a year ago at Cannes in its native France, Benedetta did not receive a wide American theatrical release and was unsurprisingly protested by at least one Catholic group at the 2021 New York Film Festival and other parts of the country. Luckily, IFC Films has seen fit to give it a proper domestic Blu-ray edition despite a few already available region-free international releases (some in 4K, linked below) and various streaming platforms. Don't let the subject matter or subtitles scare you away: Benedetta is a passionate film made by a uniquely uncompromising director about a sensitive subject that absolutely, positively needs to be discussed in frank, honest terms.

Benedetta Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like her work on La Fracture, cinematographer Jeanne Lapoiri shot Benedetta using an ALEXA Mini and Optimo zooms, preferring that setup for its visual similarity to true 35mm film. As much of Benedetta takes place within the walls of a convent and other old world architecture, the majority of it was captured with natural light and candles. Lots and lots of candles. And while their harsh orange light sticks out almost unnaturally against some darkened walls and even takes on a greenish tint, the bulk of Benedetta looks smooth and luxurious, almost resembling a painting due to its technical setup and tight framing, which boasts very little movement. Its stately appearance stands in sharp contrast to the scathing subject matter, just as decorative religious costumes and warm outdoor light pop out against colder interior walls and the rough, craggy texture of weathered stone. This juxtaposition looks great on the 1080p transfer used for IFC's Blu-ray, which runs at an extremely high bit rate due to this movie-only disc being encoded on a full dual-layer (50GB) disc. It's about as good as it gets considering the film's 2K source material and, though at least one international 4K edition is available -- and with Dolby Vision / HDR10+, no less -- those incapable or unwilling to import shouldn't feel like they're getting anything less than a first-rate visual presentation on this solid Blu-ray.

Benedetta Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, which preserves the film's French language with optional English subtitles, offers a largely straightforward sonic presence that opens up sporadically during action scenes and abstract moments, including many of Benedetta's hallucinations. Still, there's more than just front-forward dialogue here, as many of the film's borderline cavernous interiors allow room for light background ambience, whereas the title character's chambers (quite appropriately described as a "cell") contain a more reigned-in, almost claustrophobic presence. It's a palpable contrast that gets slightly more expansive during infrequent visits outside communal walls, such as Abbess Felicita's trip to visit Nuncio Alfonso where the Black Plague can be seen in all its horror, as well as other stray moments like the comet's initial arrival and a nighttime public gathering under its light that leads to tragedy. Then, of course, there's the witch-hunting climax involving a mob of curious onlookers protesting a key character's punishment which ends with a fiery explosion of violence by members of the raucous, impassioned crowd. Somewhere among all this lies the original score by Anne Dudley, which frequently hangs behind most scenes without intruding but comes to the forefront during several key moments. Overall, a fine mix indeed and one that fits the film like a glove.

As mentioned before, optional English subtitles are included during the main feature, as is an English descriptive audio track. I didn't sample the latter during my initial viewing of the film, but it's probably a laugh riot.

Benedetta Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with provocative cover artwork and a promotional insert. Sadly, unlike at least one of the previously-mentioned international 4K editions, no extras are included here.

Benedetta Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta is a rare film of uncommon power; it's a scathing examination of Catholic doctrines, it presents complicated drama fueled by despicable human behavior, and it has poop jokes. A tough watch for those who hold faith close, but an essential film for anyone unafraid to challenge or at least reflect on their own belief systems. IFC's Blu-ray edition, though a movie-only disc, at least offers both a strong A/V presentation and a reasonable price tag. More expensive international 4K editions are also available (and of course the preferred option for established fans), but I would suggest that interested newcomers test the waters with this domestic Blu-ray first.