Beyond the Walls

Having seen over 400 WLW films, it’s easy to compare new films I see to previous ones I’ve watched. Certain plot points, characters and conflicts come up time and time again. Beyond the Walls is one such case. This 1985 movie is crazy similar to Paul Verhoeven’s recent film, Benedetta. So much so that I wounder if Verhoeven saw Beyond the Walls. Probably not, though. The plots are crazy similar. but really, there’s only so many nun-related plots to begin with. Also, even if Verhoeven did see the earlier Beyond the Walls, his nun film, Benedetta is the stronger of the two.

Beyond the Walls is set in a convent. I have absolutely no idea what any character’s names are because they all just call each other “sister.” It’s also hard to tell them apart visually. They all wear the same thing and their hair is hidden under caps. What is certain is that two of these nuns are lesbians. The lesbian nuns come up with a plot. One of them is going to fake the stigmata on her hands. This is both to get them power and ideally, protection from scrutiny. It would also bring attention and resources to their convent and surrounding community. But, you can’t just claim a miracle and not expect men in dramatic hats to show up and investigate the claim. Especially if you’re a woman.

What surprised me with Beyond the Walls is that the lesbianism is quite overt. And it doesn’t take long to get their, either. We don’t get any relationship buildup. These two nuns are already together and in love when the film starts. They’re just hatching plans about how to stay safe and together. You do get a good amount of kissing scenes. More than that, there’s some very passionate declarations of love. And not declarations that can be read as mere friendship or normal nun sisterhood. Definitely gay declarations.

The film let me down a little in the interplay between sexuality and religion. Something present in Benedetta that I loved was a strong connection between Christianity and manifested homosexuality. Gay desire may be outside of what the church promotes. But I loved seeing enacted through a lens of someone who has a strong religious framework. Beyond the Walls generally presented this lesbian relationship as something deeply separate from the religious institution these women are in. I’d have liked to see more ways that their sexuality comes in conflict with their religious beliefs. I’d also like to see more ways their religion shapes their queer activities. You don’t have to go full Benedetta and use a statue of Jesus as a sex toy. But use some of bible quotes as professions of love or a clear bleed from the common nun relationships into something explicitly gay would’ve been nice.

The visuals of Beyond the Walls let down the story. The story is good. I went in expecting exploitation and got a fairly tame historical drama based on a novel. But damn, this is a muddy looking movie. Every scene is just shades on shades of brown. A lot of detail gets lost in its muted colour pallet. I would’ve loved to see way more inspiration from Christian and Catholic art in the framing. There’s a few dramatic shots, but not enough. Catholic art has a very distinct and dramatic look to it. Taking more time to have some dramatic framing that mimics classical paintings could’ve really elevated this story.

Beyond the Walls is ultimately, fine. It’s impressively not exploitative for the time and subject matter. For decades, Beyond the Walls would have been the best lesbian nun movie about a woman who fakes a stigmata. But Benedetta blows it out of the water. The lack of visual interest in Beyond the Walls places it below Benedetta. Its story also lacks a level of subtlety in dialogue and plot. Not that Benedetta was exactly subtle, but its characters were more developed and individual.

Overall rating: 5.6/10

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