A Paul Verhoeven movie about nuns? Do I need to say more? Well, perhaps. Of course, we get our fair share of nude nuns minus, in this instance, those big guns and a copious amount of sex and violence but this is no cheap exploitation picture even if it is unlikely to recieve the Vatican's Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Verhoeven's "Benedetta" doesn't just sail close to the wind but to Christians, and to Catholics in particular, is positively sacrilegious.

It's the story of a nun, Benedetta, in 17th century Tuscany, (Virginie Efria),whose devotion, first to the Virgin Mary and then to Jesus, takes, shall we say, somewhat extreme forms. As a 'Bride of Christ' Benedetta sees him not just as a vision but very much in the flesh and tends to take her wifely duties literally though she is also inclined to dally in her more earthly sphere with another nun, (Daphne Patakia). Naturally, this leads Benedetta into all sorts of trouble with the Church authorities.

Verhoeven tends to take all of this fairly seriously though the nudity, the violence, the visions and the swearing do add to a sense of jocularity as well. It's certainly a terrific looking picture with a real sense of period and without the sex and violence it could fit quite easily into the category of 'religious epic'.

There's a lot here we've seen before but equally there is a lot that is both new and shocking but shocking in a very Verhoevenian kind of way. Even at its most serious I kept feeling his tongue was lodged very firmly in his cheek, certainly by the time we move into the territory of "The Devils" and "The Exorcist". The one member of the cast who seems to know exactly what is intended is Charlotte Rampling as the Mother Superior and once again Rampling simply walks off with the picture. Unfortunately, in the version I saw, the subtitling was very poor, even to the extent of distorting the meaning. What is certain is that "Benedetta" is no 'Sound of Music' and this is one nun's story unlikely to be shown in the convent anytime soon.

Some film critics in Greece thought that this movie is a hybrid of parody and satire in its attitude towards organized religion. I disagree. Although the treatment of religious themes is rather blasphemous by pietistic standards the amount of human misery and suffering portrayed does not allow the viewer to conceive the movie as satire at least solely as such. Surely the religious visions and the sexual adventures of Benedetta treat religion irreverently but the consequences for her and her protégé Bartolomea have nothing humorous about them. In that time, unlike ours - at least in the West- no jokes were allowed concerning religion.

Misery, violence, intrigue abound in the plot and lust, although explicit, is just one of the sins portrayed. Ambition, struggle for power and precedence, avarice are the prevailing motives of the characters. Christian charity pales before those demonic passions although it is not totally absent.

The plight of the poor, the intrigues of the powerful, the omnipresence of the plague, the violence of the soldiery offer a bleak picture of society. One is reminded of Flesh and Blood by the same director situated in about the same historical period. Both have a central heroine with superb survival skills to help her navigate through insurmountable adversities.

Humour and satire exist but the general atmosphere is so ominous, so laden with menace, violence and disease that you are left saddened with the misery inherent in the human experience of 17nth century Tuscany. Nothing betrays the artistic splendour of the Renaissance, just a bleak struggle for survival and mastery, for power and precedence, for wealth and prestige where Christianity is used to serve those ulterior motives.

It is a sad movie. That said Virginie Efira and Daphne Patakia are gorgeous both artistically and sexually. But I think Charlotte Rampling in the role of the abbess gives the more memorable performance as a character full of ambiguity and contradictions. Lambert Wilson shines as the satanic nuncio although his character is rather flat in his evil propensities.

The costumes and the representation of the era are superb and the religious visions of Benedetta are far-fetched and subversive. Pietistic believers are going to be offended and will probably say: would he dare to do the same with Muslim religious symbols? But I do not think that the movie is anti-Christian. It shows how lofty ideals are used by flawed humans to further very earthly ambitions.

It is true though that without divine solace the society portrayed by Benedetta would be impossible to live in. Watch the movie and form your own opinion.

Director Verhoeven uses graphic nudity and violence in good taste to shape a provocative view of his protagonist. Is she a saint, a lunatic, or a shrewd deceiver? What others believe about her may be more revealing about themselves.