Benedetta is the 2021 film directed by Paul Verhoeven and is adapted from the book “Immodest Acts” by historian Judith C. Brown. This creative and sometimes subversive look at the life of Sister Benedetta Carlini examines religion, guilt, superstition, sexuality, and asceticism, often through the lens of religious allegory. Director Verhoeven often takes creative liberty to tell this story, but the screenplay’s challenging take on what it means to be a martyr makes for clever and sometimes ingenious storytelling. Verhoeven’s incendiary subtext and provocative material make for an often slow but ultimately satisfying examination of religion and free will.
The performances in Benedetta are excellent across the board, with both lead Virginie Efira and Daphne Patakia giving great performances. Also fantastic here is Charlotte Rampling as Sister Felicita, whose supporting turn takes on new dimensions as the story progresses. Yet, ultimately, it’s Efira’s performance as Benedetta that must live up, and the performer lives up the title role quite well.
The story of Benedetta is one that can be viewed from multiple different perspectives, and it’s Verhoeven’s ambiguous sense of history that helps accentuate this. The character of Benedetta is one that is particularly hard to pinpoint throughout the film, as her own beliefs collide with her identity in ways that are unexpected. The film questions the ideas behind religion, traditionalism, and superstition when they are confronted with events that shake the core of belief. Verhoeven’s film remains thematically rich, even if it is unable to delve into some of its characters more or establish a more distinct stylistic presence. A slightly more taut and nuanced screenplay would have benefited the film greatly, but this incendiary and insightful work nonetheless makes for a fascinating and creative recount of a little-known tale.
Rishabh Vashishtha 
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