#verhoeven

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven, 1973)

[almostlookedhuman]

Benedetta (2021, dir. Paul Verhoeven)

[terminalfix]

(via 29572633_1688183551217305_4166314922999685276_n.jpg (764×619))

[motsimages]

I've just watched Benedetta and I really enjoyed it. I'm a massive fan of Verhoeven and I was sure he would play his cards right, even though the trailer was telling a very different story from the one in the movie. Here is a list of things I liked:

- Colourful medieval clothes and clean streets.

- Lots of women everywhere doing many things. A woman doctor. Women helping Benedetta escape.

- Nudity with meaning. Nudity for normal things, not only sex. Benedetta has the body of someone her age who works as nuns do (and same goes for other nuns we see). Bartolomea has the body of someone who grew up poor or with malnutrition.

- Sex people usually have. There are like 30 seconds of sex in the whole movie, some of them are aesthetic, but it has questions, wondering and doubts, as people do.

- Not a clear message, you make your own conclusions on what everything means. Which is good, given that it is based upon a real story.

- Excellent writing for the character of Benedetta. I think she is intelligent, evil and mean, not as clever as she thinks. As for the rest, who knows, she doesn't. I loved how theatrical she is.

- Critique on religion as an organisation, not on faith as a personal path. Commentary on using religion for personal gain.

- I also loved the Abbess. Such a human and pragmatic character.

Now, if you don't know Verhoeven, he uses violence unexpectedly and gruesomly. It will surprise you and it will make you uncomfortable, but it is brief and it stops as quickly as it showed up. There is, however, a scene that could have been shorter or more subtle. I understand how it connects to the plot and the story itself but it was too much. Watch out for when they take one of them to the Inquisition, you don't see much (thank god Verhoeven is not morbid and knows where to stop) but it may be triggering as it evoques sexual torture. It is the only thing I didn't like and I found excessive. It could have given the same message cutting the scene earlier.

[matyas-ss]

Benedetta (2021)

Dir: Paul Verhoeven

Cinematography by Jeanne Lapoirie

[gifmovie]

Friends: The Reunion by Paul Verhoeven

[danmeth]

A tribute to SHOWGIRLS (1995). Illustration by Dan Meth

[libraryofsports]