Beguiled, The [8]

I thought I had seen every Clint Eastwood movie ever made. I thought there could be no worse movie starring Clint Eastwood than Bronco Billy. I was wrong. This movie was weird. Creepy. I'm a big fan of Eastwood, and this movie comes with superb acting and a surprise ending but even all this cannot save the movie from its bizarre plot and comical soundtrack. This movie takes place in the south during the Civil War complete with 70's era hair and big disco ruffled shirts. Our man Clint is a wounded Union soldier behind enemy lines taking refuge in an all girl school for southern debutantes. Sound like a dream come true? It sure starts that way.

The girls (seven in all, aging somewhere between of 13-22 and the schools' Headmistress) nurse him back to health and take turns attempting to seduce him. The two oldest girls and the school's Headmistress quickly turn this into a love quadrangle. It gets really weird from there.

The film seems to try to explore some of the darker sides of human emotion: Jealousy, Lust, Mistrust of the opposite sex. It accurately portrays them but leaves you asking WHY? Why is this stuff happening? At times some of the exchanges between Eastwood and the school's Headmistress played by Geraldine Page, reminded me of James Caan and Cathy Bates in Misery.

Some of the scenes flashback imagery and the cinematography (camera angles, lighting et al.) seem inspired by halucinogenic drug use. Perhaps the film was meant to be watched under the influence of a controlled substance--I wouldn't know. In my opinion this is one of Eastwoods weirdest! [JB]

Added: April 7th 2004
Reviewer: JB
29 Point Scale Score:    [8]

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