Benedetta

"I don't know God's ways, but he works his will through me."

2021 2h 11m FR

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 1,215

HistoryDramaRomance

Synopsis

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A 17th-century nun becomes entangled in a forbidden lesbian affair with a novice. But it is Benedetta's shocking religious visions that threaten to shake the Church to its core.

“I don't know God's ways, but he works his will through me.”

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Cast

Virginie Efira
Sister Benedetta Carlini
Charlotte Rampling
Sister Felicita
Daphné Patakia
Bartolomea
Lambert Wilson
Nuncio
Olivier Rabourdin
Alfonso Cecchi
Louise Chevillotte
Sister Christina
Hervé Pierre
Paolo Ricordati
Clotilde Courau
Midea Carlini

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writers: David Birke, Paul Verhoeven
Languages: French, Latin
Countries: Belgium, France, Netherlands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 11% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Belgium, France, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, shot by Jeanne Lapoirie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Anne Dudley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Job ter Burg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Virginie Efira and Charlotte Rampling and Daphné Patakia carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Verhoeven directs. Jeanne Lapoirie behind the camera. Anne Dudley scores. Job ter Burg cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Belgium, France, Netherlands. Dialogue in French, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 11% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 5 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Latin.
4International production across 3 countries: Belgium, France, Netherlands.
5Directed by Paul Verhoeven, shot by Jeanne Lapoirie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Anne Dudley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Job ter Burg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Virginie Efira and Charlotte Rampling and Daphné Patakia carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "I don't know God's ways, but he works his will through me.".
10IMDB entry: tt6823148 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 19 themes, including "suicide", "based on novel or book", "nun", "italy".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jeanne Lapoirie
Original score: Anne Dudley
Editing: Job ter Burg
Production design: Katia Wyszkop
Costume design: Pierre-Jean Larroque
Makeup / hair: Olivier Afonso
VFX supervisor: Guillaume Le Gouez
Sound: Cyril Holtz
Runtime: 131 min · 2h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $24,350,000
Box office: $2,652,725
Return: 11% of budget
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Benedetta (2021)

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Paul Verhoeven

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-23
★ 7/10
After living in a nunnery in Pescia since her youth, "Benedetta" (Virginie Efira) has visions that lead her to believe that she is speaking directly to Jesus. A somewhat sceptical Mother Superior (Charlotte Rampling) and her fellow nun "Christina" (Louise Cevillotte) have doubts, but those are not shared by an all-too-willing clergy and soon the young woman is the new Abbess. Simultaneously, the nunnery takes in the young "Bartolomea" (Daphne Patakia) from a torrid and violent relationship with her father and the two women become fast friends - with benefits! When the erstwhile Abbess flees to seek the intervention of the Papal Nuncio (Lambert Wilson) the full power of the church now confronts "Benedetta" - is she really a conduit from their Saviour, or is she no more than a fraud with "bestial" tendencies? The film looks stunning, the attention to the detail is excellent and Paul Verhoeven manages to delicately weave a story that demonstrates just how naive and gullible folks were in the 17th century; how fearful they were of god - and more importantly, the church and he uses the symbolism of the stigmata and of the crown of thorns to illustrate successfully the profound nature of deeply-held attitudes held by a largely ignorant, superstitious, population - especially as the plague approaches their city. It is based in fact, so the ending has limited scope for jeopardy; but Efira is superb in the role as are Cevilotte and Rampling - whose position as the story develops becomes quite an intriguing tightrope act. Sex features prominently, but none of it is gratuitous or seamy - it seems perfectly natural until used as a means of torture (and not in any kinky way!). Was she a charlatan? I know what I think...

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