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Benediction
By Stefan Pape,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tender biopic about anti-war poet has archive WWI footage.
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Benediction
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What's the Story?
BENEDICTION is a biopic of World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden), who survived the horrors of battle, and went on to become a high-profile and vocal critic of the war. Finding himself in a complex world, Sassoon becomes a hit amongst the cultural elite, indulging in affairs with several men at a time when homosexuality was illegal, all while attempting to find peace within himself.
Is It Any Good?
This is a sumptuous, multi-layered, and tender piece of filmmaking from British director Terence Davies. Benediction is as beautifully rendered as the prose penned by its subject. The way Davies imbues Sassoon's poetry as a sort of narration over the top of this production is masterful. It's a film you could almost enjoy just as much with your eyes closed, as though it could be a radio play. Yet visually, it's just as striking and the acting is brilliant. Lowden turns in a career best performance, while Peter Capaldi brings such nuance and depth to the same character in his older years.
It's a fascinating film and has such a complexity to it, with a central character who is striving to find peace and salvation, and yet we're never quite sure what from. Yet that intangible element -- the uncertainty of what exactly it is he needs to face -- is what makes Benediction all the more profound and powerful, as what cannot be identified is often harder to overcome.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Benediction's central character. Had you heard of Siegfried Sassoon? What do you think troubled him? What character strengths did he display?
The film features archive footage from WWI. How did you feel seeing these images? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.
Sassoon was a gay man living at a time when homosexuality was illegal. How must this have made him feel? Do you think there has been enough progress in terms of how the LGBTQ+ community is treated? Why, or why not?
Did you enjoy the poetry in the movie? What do you think Sassoon was trying to say in his poems?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 3, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: August 3, 2022
- Cast: Jack Lowden , Peter Capaldi , Simon Russell Beale
- Director: Terence Davies
- Studio: Roadside Attractions
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: History
- Character Strengths: Courage , Empathy
- Run time: 137 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: disturbing war images, some sexual material and thematic elements
- Last updated: September 23, 2022
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