What do You think about gay nuns?
Is it a blockbuster-packed criticism of major American businesses and the police state (RoboCop) or concealed American fascism(Starship Troopers)? In every case, legendary filmmaker Paul Verhoeven has always been provocative to a degree. Benedetta, his latest movie, follows in the footsteps of Raw Passions and Showgirls in terms of sexuality and controversy.
SPOILER ALERT!
He did, however, add a rather easy target here: religion. Benedetta is about a young nun who claims to have visions of Jesus Christ. She is also exploring her sexuality in a new love affair with another nun. While it may appear to be highly provocative, it is actually quite mild on the Catholic Church. We say that because its approach to the subject of religion and sex is actually quite benign.
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The first issue is that the film is not as subversive as the authors make it out to be.
The topics include hypocrisy and sexism, which are deeply connected to the Catholic Church. It is also a (too) common focus of filmmakers. The narrative's weight is enhanced by the fact that it is based on a true story concerning Benedetta Carlina. She has made repeated claims that Jesus appears in her dreams and that the stigmas she alleges are genuine.
The film explores whether Benedetta would have been punished so harshly if the "problem" wasn't the lesbian romance.
The film also addresses the issue of women who may be just as sexist as men. We can see that in the character of Sister Felicita, who fights against Benedetta with all her power after she questions her authority.
The plot really really heats up with the appearance of Bartolomei, who begins a relationship with Benedetta, after a fairly drawn-out opening section in which we follow Benedetta's rigorous childhood.
We must not overlook the fact that the acting in the film is generally great. All of the actors delivered an excellent performance. It is difficult to choose who was the best, Virginia Efira (Benedetta), Daphne Patakia (Bartolomea), or Charlotte Rampling, who plays her sister Felicita.
Despite the high quality of the acting, it's difficult not to reduce everything to 'that movie about lesbian nuns," especially because the provocation appears to be the driving concept of the entire film marketing.
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The statue of Mary used as a dildo?
For example, we know that after the film's New York premiere, a group of Christians staged a protest, condemning the film and stating that it offends their religious beliefs.
If Benedetta had debuted twenty years ago, it would have evoked even more violent emotions, because we live in an age of perpetual astonishment, and what were once "crusaders" of eternally hurt religious sentiments are now innumerable organizations that are outraged by pretty much everything.
