Watch Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life

Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life is a movie that explores the concept of power and control through the story of a young man named Jakob who enrolls in a mysterious institute known as the Benjamenta Institute. The institute is run by a brother and sister duo, Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta, who teach their students to become servants and submit to their will.

Jakob, played by Mark Rylance in his first feature film role, is a young man who is disillusioned with life and seeks meaning and purpose. He is drawn to the Benjamenta Institute, hoping that it will provide him with the guidance and structure he needs to find himself.

As Jakob begins his training, he is gradually drawn into the strange and enigmatic world of the Benjamenta siblings. Lisa, played by Alice Krige, is a stern and forbidding presence, while Johannes, played by Gottfried John, is a mysterious and charismatic figure who seems to hold the secrets to the institute's power.

As Jakob sinks deeper into the routines and rituals of the institute, he finds himself questioning the nature of the relationships between the students and the Benjamentas. He starts to suspect that there is more to the institute than meets the eye, and that there is a hidden agenda at work.

The movie is a visually stunning and surrealistic exploration of the themes of power, control, and self-discovery. It weaves a complex and multi-layered narrative that draws the viewer into the world of the Benjamenta Institute, and challenges them to question the nature of the relationships between teacher and student, master and servant.

The performances of the three lead actors are mesmerizing, particularly Rylance's nuanced portrayal of Jakob, who undergoes a profound transformation over the course of the movie. Krige and John are equally compelling, imbuing Lisa and Johannes with a sense of otherworldly power that is both alluring and deeply unsettling.

The cinematography of the movie is striking, with its use of shadows, light, and color to create a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere. The soundtrack, composed by Lech Jankowski, is haunting and evocative, adding to the overall sense of strangeness and unease that permeates the film.

Overall, Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life is a movie that challenges the viewer to think deeply about the nature of power and control, and the ways in which we submit ourselves to authority. It is a masterful work of art that will stay with the viewer long after the credits have rolled.

Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life is a 1995 animated movie 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 7.0.