The Beguiled (2017) / Drama

MPAA Rated: R for some sexuality
Running Time: 93 min.

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Oona Laurence, Angourie Rice
Director: Sofia Coppola
Screenplay: Sofia Coppola (based on the novel by Thomas Cullinan and the screenplay to the 1971 film by Albert Maltz and Irene Kamp (Grimes Grice))
Review published July 5, 2017

Sofia Coppola (The Bling Ring, Marie Antoinette) remakes the 1971 minor classic starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Don Siegel (who also directed Clint the same year with the breakout smash, Dirty Harry), which happens to be a personal favorite of mine.  If you've seen the older film, itself based on a 1966 novel from Thomas Cullinan, you'll likely not be very surprised about what happens in this version, as it proceeds mostly according to plan.  What's different is at least enough to keep the proceedings interesting, as Coppola puts much more emphasis on what happens behind the scenes among the female characters, breaking from the male perspective that dominates Siegel's opus.

Set in Virginia in 1864, during the downward end of the Civil War for the South, we find an injured Irish-born Union soldier named Colonel John McBurney (Farrell, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) taken in by a rural all-female boarding school run by headmistress Miss Martha (Kidman, Lion) until his leg heals and they can turn him in to the Confederate Army without his death on their consciences.  McBurney's presence initially causes a great deal of fear and concern, but soon his charm and good grace win them over, and some of the sexually repressed girls even begin to swoon over this handsome new man, the only one in their lives at the moment.  Unfortunately, too much competing interest can be disastrous, as the ladies begin to resemble children all fighting over possession of a new toy, which, as we all know, can lead to broken friendships, or a broken toy.

Strong performances help anchor this period drama of lust and deception, with Farrell quite commanding in his role as the beguiler who finds that there is danger in stoking too many of the ladies' fires of desire in trying to win their favor.  Most impressive is the work from Coppola favorite Kirsten Dunst (Hidden Figures) as Edwina, one of the school teachers, who is quite won over by McBurney's seemingly sincere words of flattery and notions of escaping together from the madness in their current environment.  Elle Fanning (Live by Night) also continues to make a name for herself as Alicia, the teenager who has her sights set on her first romance with a captive man in the house who seems receptive to her advances.

Coppola's take is more atmospheric in approach (the cinematography opts for natural lighting, which, here, makes for a dim and murky aesthetic), in keeping with her other works, and works in less suspenseful mode than Siegel's original take, partially because the subject matter had been daring in the early 1970s, and today, what The Beguiled offers doesn't really surprise so much as occasionally pique interest.  As such, I do prefer the 1971 film in terms of its grip, but Coppola does offer up enough psychological study of how the competitive nature of desire and coupling in an arena with scarce options can often bring out the worst in people, as it fleshes out the motivation of the female characters much more.  It's perhaps a colder take than some might truly enjoy, but it does remain haunting once it's all said and done, enough to garner a recommendation for those who enjoy the pent-up frustrations amid a Southern Gothic tale of lust and longing.

Qwipster's rating:

©2017 Vince Leo