Review of The Beguiled (2017) by Eric F — 20 Jul 2017

When I was younger, I went through a Clint Eastwood stage and watched majority - if not all - of his movies dating back to the 1964 classic, "A Fistful of Dollars." What movie lovers may have missed was the 1971 version of "The Beguiled," where Mr. Eastwood starred as the Northern soldier who is taken in my a household of southern women during the Civil War. It was a great movie that showed Mr. Eastwood in a character that was different to the cowboy or angry detective he is known and loved for.

2017's "The Beguiled," directed by the talented Sophia Coppola, is a great adaptation from the source material. The film starts off with a young girl in the woods scavenging mushrooms for dinner when she stumbled across John McBurney (Colin Farrell) laying in the wounds. John, a northern soldier, is seriously injured and the girl decides to bring him back to her boarding school led by Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman). The women take the injured man into their care and decide to heal him of his wounds before setting him off on his way.

Whether you watch the 1971 or 2017 version, you will realize the sexual tension in "The Beguiled." While the 1971 version shows the northern soldier in a constant mindset to seduce each and every women to his sexual desires, Colin Farrell's soldier takes a more gentle approach with subtle phrases and movements. What is the same from both versions are the women's responses to one another. Carol (Ell Fanning) is the rambunctious teenager who wants replies with teases of her own towards the injured soldier while Edwina (Kirsten Dunst) sees him as a way out of the house to run away with. While Martha is the head of the household and tries to remain as neutral as possible, she too slowly begins to look at the soldier as a person she can bond with.

These tensions and relationships are supported further by a strong cast of actors. Nicole Kidman, showing resemblance to her character in the 2001 classic "The Others," is fantastic as the head of the boarding school. She is a tough women who doe not fear to take matters into her own hands. Kirsten Dunst is another standout especially in scenes with the McBurney. Colin Farrell fits perfectly into his role as the handsome, manipulative McBurney. Instead of using an American accent, Farrell uses his own accent which only adds to the desire of the young women.

Both versions of "The Beguiled" have their pros and cons. I thought there was more substance in the 1971 version but thought Collin Farrell was a better actor for the part. That being said, 2017's "The Beguiled" is still a solid movie to watch. It may take a while for things to start to get interesting for some viewers. There is not a lot of blood or violence in the film, mainly dialogue. Thankfully the dialogue is fantastic and keeps us intrigued until the very end. Plus, if you look from the standpoint that a man is trying to "woo" a woman, the pace is actually quite good.

Grade: B.