Jack Lowdenmight be in the news now for hiscameo as Sauron inThe Rings of PowerSeason 2, but in 2021, theSlow Horsesstar gave a performance worthy of everyone’s attention inBenediction, a biopic of World War I poet and soldierSiegfried Sassoon. WhileBenedictionis tangentially about war, which serves as an ever-present character,Terence Daviesdoesn’t spend any time on the front lines with Sassoon, though he was a decorated soldier who witnessed atrocities and was nearly fatally wounded on several occasions. Rather, the film covers Sassoon’s personal life outside of combat, paying particular attention to the most central relationships in his life. Lowden’s Sassoon grapples with loss, career ups and downs, and life as a gay man in the early 20th century. In scenes which are interspersed throughout, an older Sassoon (Peter Capaldi) comes to terms with his own faith, converting to Catholicism in his later years.Benedictionis an unconventional biopic — a poignant character study more than just the story of a man’s life.
‘Benediction’ Is a War Movie That Doesn’t Focus on War
Sassoon’s relationships are at the heart ofBenediction.Davies portrays each relationship as part of a distinct phase of Sassoon’s life. These central sequences are interspersed with recitations of his poetry over real footage of World War I as part of the film’snonlinear narrative. Even as we get glimpses of Sassoonprocessing PTSDand grief from the war, Davies will jump away quickly, redirecting to more mundane moments in Sassoon’s life off of the front lines. The effect is thatSassoon’s gutting war poetry mirrors the smaller-scale disappointments in his personal life. This is a veryunconventional way to tell a war story, but it shows that there is always more to a survivor than just the tragedy they left behind.
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Benedictionlingers on messinessin Sassoon’s relationships,from a secretive first love that goes unexpressed while Sassoon is being treated for a “breakdown” (protesting the war) at a psychiatric hospital, to a manipulative relationship that is mostly made up of lies, to a marriage rife with tension. Though Sassoon does have moments of romantic happiness, this filmisnot a romanticized look at love. On the contrary,Benedictioncaptures the personal growth and self-reflection that Sassoon goes through after each subsequent relationship ends.
‘Benediction’ Largely Avoids Queer Stereotypes
Despite Sassoon’s heartache,Benedictionis not necessarily a tragedy. Hollywood has anunfortunate tendency of making tragedy a common thread in LGBTQ+ representation, a narrative that, while sometimes accurate, ignores the nuance of individual lives which are never all one thing. Davies' biopic, on the other hand, shows that even when someone has experienced profound hardship in their life, they can still have lived many moments of joy. InBenediction, there is a beautiful balance of dark and light. Even when Sassoon’s romantic life is a bit of a mess, Davies shows the joy of his friendships with people such as Ivor Novello’s ex, Glen Byam Shaw(Tom Blythe), as well as many fellow patrons of the arts such as Robbie Ross (Simon Russell Beale) and the eccentric Lady Ottoline (Suzanne Bertish).
There is also a very real historical reason why Sassoon’s story is not as tragic as it could have been. In aninterview withCollider,Davies and Lowden spoke about how Sassoon’s world was one of relative privilege given his social status. The gay characters inBenedictionare all from the upper classes, and therefore areprotected by status, money, and connections, to the point where they can live openly, whereas men in the lower classes at this time would have risked being thrown in prison.
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Another way in whichBenedictiondoes LGBTQ+ representation right is that it is filled withcomplex, interesting gay characters who resist stereotypes. Each of Sassoon’s relationships is totally different, and the dynamics are fascinating to watch. Davies devotes great attention to the subtle differences between his characters' personalities; Wilfred Owen (Matthew Tennyson) is shy and gentle, Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine) is vacuous and cruel, Stephen Tennant (Calam Lynch) is constantly sarcastic but loving, and Sassoon is always the most intelligent character in the room. This is ultimatelya character study more than anything else, which Davies proved he is a master at in his delicate biopic of Emily Dickinson,A Quiet Passion, and otherpoignant romantic dramas.
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Benedictionis a refreshing look at the inner life of a person whosurvived a warwhich isn’t really about the war at all. Rather, it focuses onSassoon’s search for redemption. Even early on in his days in therapy at the psychiatric hospital, Sassoonasks existential questions, acknowledges his own faults, and searches for a meaning to his life. These questions are certainly influenced by PTSD and losing friends in the war, but also due to his life asa poet in search of finding the right words. In the same interview with Collider, Lowden said that “His recognition of his own hypocrisy is, for me, the most endearing thing about him,” while Davies said, “This man falls in love with the wrong people all the time, and the people he really does love he never consummates it. And this constant, constant journey towards some kind of resolution, some kind of peace of mind, if you like, doesn’t come.”
Even at the end of the film, as Capaldi’s Sassoon sits with his son (Richard Gouling) in his garden, he expresses regret that he didn’t earn more recognition for his writing. In this moment, he shows doubts about whether he has done enough in his life. According to the Oxford English Dictionary,a benediction is “the utterance or bestowing of a blessing,” which seems to be what Sassoon spends his life looking for — a feeling of peace which never really comes, but which pushes him to write his best poems. In the end,Benedictionpresents more questions than answers, and, as Davies said, “that’s what makes it interesting.”
Benediction
Benediction explores the tumultuous life of World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon. Haunted by the war’s horrors, he seeks peace and redemption in a world forever changed, while navigating complex personal relationships and his struggle with identity and love.
Benedictionis available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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