The beguiled the novel by thomas cullinan narrative drive. Written and directed by sofia coppola, the beguiled is adapted from the 1966 southern gothic novel written by thomas p. He seeks refuge at an allfemale southern boarding school where. Maltz had originally written a script with a happy ending, in which eastwoods character and the girl live happily ever after. The 2017 remake was directed by sofia coppola with colin farrell in the eastwood role, and ive said some rather harsh things about it. Starring colin farrell, nicole kidman, kirsten dunst, elle fanning, oona laurence, and angourie rice. Been so long since i first saw the movie sometime in the 70s on network tv, that i dont recall if i was surprised or not, but i probably was.
Sofia coppolas the beguiled a remake sort of of the 1971 don siegelclint eastwood filmis full of such tableaux. In the beguiled, coppola flips the script on the original 1971 don siegel film starring clint eastwood, putting the women at the center of her version and mapping a clear blueprint for a. Check out the new trailer starring elle fanning, kirsten dunst, and nicole kidman. Personally id borrow it from themore the book will be reprinted published in june 2017 so before the movie comes out. Then pick up a copy of beguiled by coauthors deeanne gist and mark bertrand. Both eastwood and director don siegel felt that an ending faithful to that of the book would be a stronger antiwar. The unexpected arrival of a wounded union soldier at a girls school in virginia during the american civil war leads to jealousy and betrayal. The characters in beguiled are well developed and believable. The film takes place in virginia during the civil war. The story unfolds during the civil war, at a southern girls boarding school. Beguiled, a collaboration between established romance author deanne gist and new mystery author j.
The meaning is not explicit in the images, although you could read plenty into it if you wanted to the women are glimpsed between the iron bars of the gate, isolated from the world of men, etc. Mark bertrand, lures you with its great characters and a mystery that is unraveled piece by piece. While the overall plot is quite bleak, the acting and cinematography make for a beautiful film. During the civil war, a wounded union soldier, in confederate territory, collapses at the gate of a womens finishing school. In this film, clint eastwood plays a wounded union soldier during the civil war who takes refuge in a prim southern girls school overseen by geraldine page. Just put both movie versions behind you and read the beguiled on its own merit. The beguiled 1966 was made into a film starring clint eastwood.
The beguiled is a tremendously watchable movie, with its teasing flecks of noir and black comedy. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. The beguiled probably wouldnt work if it didnt nail the endingat a taut 94 minutes, every scene exists to turn the screw just a little bit tighter before a grand final showdown. The new beguiled has much the same ending as the book and earlier movie, but it hasnt quite figured out the right tone to make that ending. The names of the females in the book are mostly different than in the eastwood movie. Despite this, the pacing of the film is a tad too slow, lingering on the situation as if to give it an added poignancy that the story itself cannot provide. A brief synopsis and the ending will be revealed for the movie the beguiled. It is the second film adaptation of cullinans novel, following don siegels 1971 film of the same name.
How sophia coppolas the beguiled castrates the original. Sofia coppolas film the beguiled is not as much a remake as it is a re imaging. Well, i saw sofia coppolas remake of the beguiled, and despite my skepticism about remakes, i really enjoyed it. Sofia coppola wrote and directed the beguiled, which is based on a novel by thomas cullinan that was previously adapted into a 1971 film of the same name with clint eastwood in the. The beguiled is an unexpectedly gauzy remake of the fleshy film on which its based. For hit me with your best shot this week, nathaniel has selected the beguiled, the 1971 don siegel film starring clint eastwood with a newlyannounced sofia coppola remake on the way.
The beguiled peter bradshaws film of the week sofia coppola colin farrell. Does anyone know where i can find a copy of the beguiled. Period pieces produce the general fear of being long winded and too into their own cinematography. The beguiled is a 1971 american southern gothic film directed by don siegel, starring clint eastwood and geraldine page. Yet because it had been many years since i saw the 1971 original, i decided to watch it again to contrast with the new.
Not least concerning the way it marginalised the author of the original novel. The new beguiled has much the same ending as the book and earlier movie, but it hasnt quite figured out the right tone to make that ending work, and while im sure that i wouldnt have felt the same spedup hollowness in coppolas third if i wasnt mentally checking the new film against the old, i was, so i did. Cullinan, which was originally published with the title a painted devil. The beguiled, sofia coppolas new film, looks like a historical drama its set in virginia during the civil war but it often behaves more like a fairy tale. Cullinan set in 1864 in virginia and concerning a group of women and the wounded soldier they find. The 1971 movie, directed by don siegel and starring clint eastwood was a classic. Sofia coppolas take on don siegels pulpy 1971 adaptation of thomas p. The beguiled is a rare film that one might reasonably wish longer.
Sofia coppolas the beguileda remake sort of of the 1971 don siegelclint eastwood filmis full of such tableaux. Both eastwood and director don siegel felt that an ending faithful to that of the book would be a stronger antiwar statement, and eastwoods character would be killed. It stars nicole kidman, kirsten dunst, and elle fanning. Or more accurately, a charbroiled steak with whipped cream. Why did sofia coppola do another version of the beguiled the original, released in 1971, directed by veteran don siegel and starring clint eastwood and geraldine page, is something of an underrated classic. The ending is something that will stick with you long after you finish reading. While imprisoned in a confederate girls boarding school, an injured union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely womens hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him. The beguiled runs for ninetyfour minutes, and even those feel like a stretch. The women and girls in the beguiled are trapped, both by convention and by war bustling round their decaying virginia plantation house, weeds coming through the veranda, ivy snaking up the crumbling columns and dust showing on the skirting boards, the teachers and pupils of martha farnsworths school have nowhere to go, and no way of going should they be so inclined. I dont think a happilyeverafter ending would have worked in the beguiled. But, thankfully, the film keeps a rather tight ship. With clint eastwood, geraldine page, elizabeth hartman, jo ann harris.
The book was first adapted to the screen in 1971 by don siegel, starring clint eastwood as. As it turns out, the beguiled a study of repressed female libido boiling over is a natural fit for coppola, and an enormously baffling one for siegel. The beguiled is a 2017 american southern gothic film written and directed by sofia coppola, based on the novel of the same name originally published as a painted devil by thomas p. Correctly describing siegels 1971 iteration of the beguiled as basically having the plot of a porn movie, owen gleiberman in variety goes on to say that, after stripping down. John colin farrell before all hell breaks loose on the beguiled. These words, of course, do not make any sense together. But eventually you get to know each one and it is this key that unlocks the secret of the book s success. Wounded and near death, a young union army corporal is found in the w. Thomas cullinan 19191995 was a novelist, playwright and television writer. As they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous. Sofia coppolas dreamy, womans eye adaptation of a us civil war story brings the battleground indoors. Personally id borrow it from the library then, as it doesnt enhance the story line or understanding of the motives. The beguiled has recently been transformed from a lesserknown 60s novel into a sophia coppoladirected motion picture.
The original, starring clint eastwood, focuses more on the character of the corporal, while this film centers on the women of the seminary. Eucalypta the book will be reprinted published in june 2017 so before the movie comes out. Of course sofia coppolas the beguiled differs from the original. It would be like topping an ice cream sundae with a sardine. The girls take him in and nurse him back to health, hiding him from. I had forgotten the ending so i read the book with a fresh mind. The beguiled is an atmospheric thriller from acclaimed writerdirector sofia coppola. At the end of this novel i was left sort of speechless, and left in awe after finishing it.
Sofia coppolas adaptation of the beguiled came in for a bit of a beating. The story of the beguiled may move a tad too quickly, characters changing opinions in a way that make them seem erratic. With nicole kidman, kirsten dunst, elle fanning, colin farrell. Young women take in an injured enemy soldier during the civil war. In the beguiled, coppola cuts out the enslaved housemaid mattie called hallie in the 1971 film, and she also turns the character edwina, who was. The romance started out as oh, he is sooo handsome, and look at his bmw. At the end of this novel i was left sort of speechless, and left in awe after. Of course sofia coppolas the beguiled differs from the. Beguiled is a christian romance with a strong suspense element. Nicole kidman, elle fanning, kirsten dunst, oona laurence, and angourie rice costar. By the way, examining the original theatrical trailer, the studio didnt quite market the beguiled as a western, but it did try to make the film seem rather actionoriented, almost like a civil war military drama of some sort. The authors not only created a clever mystery with endearing characters, they bring historic charleston to life for the reader. Rylee monroe, a dog walker in historic charleston, happens upon a reporter, logan woods, who is covering the thief dubbed robin hood. It probably imagined that such a strategy constituted the greatest hope of attracting ticket buyers, but again, universal had the wrong audience in mind.
The script was written by albert maltz and is based on the 1966 novel written. John mcburney is an injured union soldier who finds himself on the run as a deserter during the civil war. Thus making what could be, like the beguiled, a 90minute movie spread into two hours. The meaning is not explicit in the images, although you could read plenty into it if you wanted to the women are glimpsed between the iron bars of.