The Beguiled (1971) 7.1
While imprisoned in a Confederate girls boarding school, a Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts. Director:Don Siegel |
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The Beguiled (1971) 7.1
While imprisoned in a Confederate girls boarding school, a Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts. Director:Don Siegel |
|
| 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Clint Eastwood | ... | ||
| Geraldine Page | ... |
Martha
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| Elizabeth Hartman | ... |
Edwina
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| Jo Ann Harris | ... |
Carol
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Darleen Carr | ... |
Doris
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Mae Mercer | ... |
Hallie
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Pamelyn Ferdin | ... |
Amy
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| Melody Thomas Scott | ... |
Abigail
(as Melody Thomas)
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Peggy Drier | ... |
Lizzie
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Patricia Mattick | ... |
Janie
(as Pattye Mattick)
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Charlie Briggs | ... |
1st Confederate Captain
(as Charles Briggs)
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George Dunn | ... |
Sam Jefferson
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Charles Martin | ... |
2nd Confederate Captain
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| Matt Clark | ... |
Scrogins
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Patrick Culliton | ... |
Miles Farnswoth
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During the civil war, injured Yankee soldier, John McBurney is rescued on the verge of death by a teenage girl from a southern boarding school. She manages to get him back to the school, and at first the all-female staff and pupils are scared. As he starts to recover, one by one he charms them and the atmosphere becomes filled with jealousy and deceit. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>
THE BEGUILED is indeed a memorable movie , but when you think about it in any great detail this should have been a disaster of a movie
1 ) There are no likable characters . Think about it , Eastwood's anti hero is a bush-wacker while the girls - Some of whom are serious jail bait - are hypocrits . Who are we supposed to be cheering for ?
2 ) Nothing much happens
3 )The downbeat ending . Everyone loves happy endings right ? Just think how regarded THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION wouldn't have been if it wasn't for the feel good factor
4 ) You could see this being marketed as a western when it was released and still being marketed as such every time it's shown on television and all the western fans being disappointed when they find out it's not a western
And yet THE BEGUILED works because of these things . Eastwood is hardly the most versatile actor in the history of Hollywood but he's most impressive here while the supporting cast shine . Don Siegel direction is very restrained , some people might say the directing is flat and they wouldn't be entirely inaccurate and that's by no means a criticism but he does concentrate on a slightly brooding atmosphere
Perhaps the reason this movie works so well is down to the timing of its production . By the early 1970s conservative Hollywood was finally waking up to new ideas and new themes even though there was still reluctance by the studios to go over board . The movie is blatantly about repressed sexual desire but there's no explict sex . Can you imagine this being remade today with Brad Pitt playing the Union soldier who stumbles into the girls school with 19 year old starlets with implants playing 15 year olds ? Now that would be a disaster
As it is THE BEGUILED is a haunting story worthy of Poe or Ambrose Bierce and shouldn't be remade