‘Benediction’ Review: Terrence Davies’ Search For Salvation Through World War I Poet Siegfried Sassoon.

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Since his filmmaking career began in the late 1970s, British auteur Terence Davies has often used his work to explore the past through lonesome figures at odds with the changing worlds around them. Davies continues this quest with Benediction, his latest biopic focusing on the celebrated World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967.) Benediction made its world premiere last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and finally began its theatrical run in the United States on June 3rd. Sassoon, who rose to fame with poems that lambasted England's involvement in the Great War, evolved into a conscientious objector after serving in combat and was known for his many public affairs with men in high society during his younger years. Benediction stars Jack Lowden as the younger Sassoon and Peter Capaldi as the older interpretation, along with a supporting cast including Jeremy Irvine, Calam Lynch, Kate Phillips, and Matthew Tennyson. A filmmaker who always confronts his own life through his work, in the case of this film rather openly, Davies uses Sassoon's story to reflect his own struggles with his identity as a gay man and his endless quest for spiritual redemption. 

Benediction begins with a young Sassoon and his brother being sent to the battlefields of the First World War. Sassoon returns from the frontlines to England after being seriously injured, and the audience learns that his brother was killed in combat. Sassoon fast develops an anti-war stance which he strongly advocates through his popular poetry and refusal to contribute any more to the war effort. For his beliefs, Sassoon is sent to a military psychiatric hospital where he is treated for "shellshock." At the hospital, Sassoon forms a deep connection with fellow poet Wilfred Owen (played by Matthew Tennyson,) who will go on to die in the war and hold a tender place in Sassoon's heart for the rest of his life. After World War I ends in 1918, Sassoon reenters British high society with heightened acclaim thanks to his famous poetry. In his posh circle of frenemies and admirers, Sassoon conducts several homosexual affairs to varying degrees of success with celebrated figures of the time, including singer/actor Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine) and socialite Stephen Tennant (Calam Lynch.) Disillusioned by his tumultuous relationships with men and the knowledge that he can never fully live a life "out of the closet," Sassoon capitulates to heteronormative standards and marries a woman, Hester Gatty, played by Kate Phillips, in the early 1930s. Benediction seamlessly transitions between Sassoon's younger days and the twilight of his life in the 1960s, where he has grown into a resentful older man in a loveless marriage. Still searching for serenity and meaning in life, Sassoon notably converts to Catholicism in his later years, yet still lives without the peace he sought for so much of his time on earth. 

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

In Benediction, Davies meditatively and poetically captures the tragic spirit of Sassoon, a disconsolate figure of British history who never healed from his traumatic experiences in World War I. Moreover, through Sassoon's narrative, Davies confronts his own struggles with his homosexual identity; the filmmaker notably chose a celibate lifestyle after floundering through toxic ventures on the gay scene when he was younger. Shot in just a few locations with a small cast due to COVID restrictions at the time of filming, Benediction is dialogue-heavy but splendidly written by Davies in a manner that serves the film's period setting while also being engaging for contemporary audiences. In addition, Davies' impressive screenplay captures the distinctive wit (or cattiness) of gay culture, again deploying the filmmaker's real-life experiences. The script dynamically expresses comedic and heartbreaking moments that precisely capture what it meant for Sassoon and his circle of gay comrades who were forced to live a "shadow life." Benediction is interspersed with historical photography and archival footage from the Great War. While these additions could seriously distract viewers from the central narrative in the hands of other filmmakers, Davies skillfully handles the infusion, powerfully connecting Benediction to its historical context. Throughout the movie, there are moments of voiceover in which Lowden reads Sassoon's most famous poems. This addition assists audiences in becoming attuned to the poet's oeuvre, especially those (myself included) who may not be familiar with Sassoon's work.

An artist whose craft is associated with the best filmmaking in England, Davies' Benediction captures a tragic time of British history in the aftermath of World War I and contends with how the war changed the island nation permanently. Like many young men who served in the war, Sassoon is portrayed as an irreparable character on an eternal quest to find meaning and peace in the world after the immense tragedy he faced on the front lines. Sassoon's surrender to social standards of the time through his marriage to Gatty reflects England's transition into more conservative, austere beliefs that dominated the country during the unstable period of both World Wars and the aftermath. Finally, Davies again chose to contend with his existential struggles by depicting Sassoon's attempts to find religious salvation.

Overall, Davies' Benediction exemplifies the director's masterly ability to channel his life through his work. His portrayal of Sassoon embodies a shattered individual forever changed by the Great War, expressing one of the most significant events ever to shift English society through Sassoon's experience. The elegiac and mournful Benediction also sheds light on a figure of gay history who lived during a time of less conservative values than modern LGBTQ+ audiences may normally consider, provoking viewers to explore other queer notables of the age. Benediction is a contemporary chef-d'oeuvre from one of England's greatest directors, who always looks to the past in an attempt to create meaning in our present.

5/5

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.