The Beguiled

Summary

“You shouldn’t do things that make me jealous.”

Kino Lorber recently released numerous films which Clint Eastwood had made with Universal Pictures. These releases were particularly of interest to me because they featured fresh scans of all the films. I have been working my way through these releases slowly and have enjoyed viewing many of these films for the very first time. I watched Eastwood’s film The Beguiled yesterday. The Beguiled was the third film to pair Eastwood with director Don Siegel. They had worked previously on Coogan’s Bluff and Two Mules for Sister Sara. Their next collaboration would be the iconic film Dirty Harry. The Beguiled is nothing like those other films. Set during the Civil War, the film is a deeply strange Southern Gothic drama and thriller that plays out within the confines of a female boarding school. 

As the film begins, a child named Amelia stumbles upon an injured Union soldier in a forest. His name is John McBurney (Clint Eastwood.) Twelve year old Amy helps him to escape a band of Confederate soldiers and he thanks her with a kiss. She takes McB back to an all female boarding school named Farnsworth Seminary School for Girls. It is run by Martha Farnsworth (Geraldine Page.) Her brother ran the property with her until he left and did not return. Their relationship was much closer than it should have been. Martha has raised the girls to distrust Yankees, to be proper ladies, and to trust in the Bible. McB appeals to Martha to allow him to stay by portraying himself as a peaceful Quaker and as having been injured while tending to a Confederate soldier. He fabricates all of this information. McB begins to systematically appeal to each woman at the school using his good looks and guile. The women that he casts a spell over include the twenty two year old virgin Edwina (Elizabeth Hartman,) the promiscuous seventeen year old Carol (Jo Ann Harris,) and headmaster Martha. As they come to know him better, he sparks jealousy and betrayal amongst the women.

The Beguiled is a wild ride. It is definitely one of the strangest films to feature Clint Eastwood. I would also say that it is one of his better films. It is a Southern Gothic tale that is deviously intelligent and capable of the darkest comedy while spiked with a real sense for horror. The film was based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Cullinan. The script for the film was written by Albert Maltz and Irene Camp who used the pseudonyms John B. Sherry and Grimes Grice. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to use a pseudonym to adapt such rich material, but they must have had their reasons. 

The film is interesting for several reasons that stand out. First and foremost, the film is largely focused on female characters and their perspectives. While the character of McB might be the primary focus of the film, the ways in which the characters react to him is all shaped by their perspectives of the man. The film manages to constantly shift the ways that viewers think about the characters by slowly revealing their traits and providing situations for them to show their true colors. The film is an impressive drama that takes place largely on one location with only six notable characters. I admired the ability of the film to hold the attention of the audience without the benefit of numerous characters or settings. The film manages to develop carefully the characters in realistic ways. The characters are all capable of both good and bad, allowing the film to work in a grey area that is exciting. It is obvious that McB is both a liar and a bit of a scoundrel, but the female characters he encounters are every bit as dangerous and capable of deception once their jealousy runs its course.

The acting in the film is fantastic. First and foremost, Clint Eastwood is excellent in the role of Corporal John McBurney. Eastwood carries himself with a spring in his step of a sexually confident lothario. If a lesser actor had been cast in the role it might be difficult to believe that so many women would fall for him so quickly. Eastwood’s charms are palpable and it feels natural that the women would find him appealing. Geraldine Page is very good as the lonely and icy schoolmaster Martha. She is a great match for Eastwood in the film and displays solid range in the role. Elizabeth Hartman is believable as the virginal Edwina. Jo Ann Harris is enjoyable in the role of Carol, although that role is not quite as well developed as the other two female leads. Pamelyn Ferdin and Mae Mercer are also well cast in their roles.

After watching The Beguiled, I was impressed that the picture was produced by Universal Pictures for a mainstream audience. The subversive nature of this material is not what many viewers would associate with filmmaker Don Siegel or with Clint Eastwood, and I am glad that they chose to pursue the picture. It is a deeply weird and thoroughly entertaining film that I look forward to rewatching in the future. Highly recommended.

Video

Kino Lorber have provided a new transfer of The Beguiled in 1920x1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Universal released the film as a stand-alone disc and within their Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection box set in 2015. The film’s cinematography by Bruce Surtees is fairly darkly lit in many scenes so grain is persistent. There are also some minor specking issues, This film is not an especially attractive picture, but the Blu-ray presentation by Kino Lorber from a new 2K scan represents a significant improvement over the prior Blu-ray presentation which was pretty rough. Set your expectations toward the film looking the best that it ever has, but still not being a visually exciting affair overall. As a fan of the picture, I am happy to have the film in a 2K presentation at all. I am not sure that a 4K scan would magically make the film’s visuals much better!

Audio

The Beguiled features a solid DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. This film is largely dialogue driven and only uses the score by Lalo Schifrin when it could have great effect. Dialogue is clear. The range of the track is limited but I can’t imagine any fans of the film being unhappy with how everything sounds here.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger – I always enjoy commentary tracks by Kat Ellinger, her enthusiasm for the film and its motifs makes this commentary track a worthwhile listen.
• Interview with Actress Melody Thomas Scott – this special feature is probably not of tremendous interest for fans of the film given that her part in the film is so small, but I was amazed that she gained twenty pounds to land the small role! That’s dedication!
• Trailer
• Trailers From Hell – director John Landis weighs in on the film.
• The Beguiled, Misty, Don and Clint – this is a short piece relating The Beguiled and Play Misty for Me. The piece is worth watching to her Clint reminisce about working with Don Siegel.

Overall Scores:

Video – 4/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

The Beguiled is one of Clint Eastwood’s most notable departures as a star. The Southern Gothic film is as intelligent as it is deeply strange. Working with filmmaker Don Siegel, Eastwood and the strong female cast brought to life the well-written script. I am sure that The Beguiled will not appeal to everyone, but I imagine fans of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor will find themselves thoroughly enjoying the picture. I personally thought the film was fantastic. The Blu-ray from Kino Lorber features a new transfer that is a substantial upgrade visually from the prior release from Universal Pictures. Highly recommended!