Watch Hadewijch

Hadewijch is a thought-provoking French drama film that explores the theme of religious extremism and its impact on individual lives. It was directed by Bruno Dumont and released in 2009. The central character of the movie is Celine, a young woman who lives in a convent in Paris. She has a strong religious inclination and desires to serve God with all her heart. However, her religious fervor takes an extreme turn when her superior asks her to leave the convent because of her intense devotion. Celine becomes disillusioned and wanders the streets of Paris until she meets a group of Muslim men led by a mysterious figure named Yassine. He offers her a new path and introduces her to his world of radicalized Islam.

Against the backdrop of Parisian nightlife and religious austerity, the film follows Celine's journey as she struggles to reconcile her fervent religious beliefs with the human desires within her. As she becomes increasingly enmeshed with Yassine's group, Celine's identity becomes blurred and her actions become more alarming. She adopts a severe ascetic lifestyle, fasting for days and submitting to the whims of Yassine, who himself is a troubled man adrift in the city.

The film is named after the 13th-century mystic Hadewijch, whose poetry and writings on spirituality inspire Celine. However, the opposite poles of Celine's religious inclinations highlight the inherent contradictions of organized religion and its impact on human beliefs and behaviors. The film subtly weaves in arguments about the nature of religious extremism and its ability to infiltrate human minds.

The film is notable for its muted color palette, naturalistic cinematography, and melancholic soundtrack, which heightens the sense of desperation and longing of the central character. Julie Sokolowski delivers an impressive performance as Celine, conveying the character's deep devotion, vulnerability, and ultimate disillusionment.

The movie offers socio-political commentary on the intersection between faith and fanaticism and its effect on the individual. Through Celine's struggles, the film presents a critique of society's inability to process human experiences from multiple perspectives. The film's ambiguity and lack of clear resolution invite the viewer to reflect on the complexities of human emotions and the ways religious extremism can lead to destructive outcomes.

Overall, Hadewijch is a poignant film that offers a nuanced exploration of religious extremism and the human psyche. It provokes the viewer to question the nature of faith, belief, and fanaticism, and the impact of these phenomena on individual lives. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of spirituality and human psychology.

Hadewijch is a 2009 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7 and a MetaScore of 83.