The Beguiled
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Collin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Rated: R
As the Civil War rages on, the days pass by slowly at the Farmsworth Seminary in the heart of the Confederate South. It's an all girls school where the time is marked by lessons, garden work, cooking, and music. The girls in the school go about their daily routine as if everything is normal, but the sounds of war in the distance prove otherwise. Everything changes when Amy (Oona Laurence) finds an injured Union soldier (Collin Farrell) in the woods. She has compassion on the man and brings him back to the school leader, Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman). All of the girls are scared and unsure what to do with the soldier. Should they report him? Leave him outside the gates of their schoolhouse? Or take him in? After some debate, they decide to bring him in and clean up his wounded leg. Then they will turn him in.....at least that was their plan.
The war has gone on so long, the women in the schoolhouse have forgotten what it's like to be around a man. As John McBurney begins to heal, each of the girls see a glimpse of the world outside of their closed off house. They each project their own ideas and dreams onto John, a man they barely know.
The wildlife enthusiast Amy believes John knows a lot about nature. Maybe he can teach her more about the environment around her. The egotistical Alicia (Elle Fanning) is coming-of-age and sees John as an object of lust. Edwina (Kirsten Dunst) desperately wants to leave Farmsworth Seminary and sees John as her ticket out. With each passing moment, they grow closer to the soldier and the idea of kicking him out becomes a fading notion.
The Beguiled was originally a novel, later turned into a film with Clint Eastwood. War is often seen from the soldier's perspective, but what happens to the women left behind? Director Sofia Coppola looks to answer that question with an updated version of the story told from the women's perspective. One of the things I really admire about Coppola's direction is her ability to give a voice to the characters in her films (even the ones with small roles.) There are 7 girls in this movie and Coppola writes personalities for all of them. They all have distinct characteristics and interests that set them apart from one another. That's good writing. Like most of her films, The Beguiled gives a voice to female characters who are stuck in repressed circumstances. The women at the Farmsworth Seminary are stuck both literally and figuratively. Coppola explores this narrative very closely. The literal angle is quickly explained when we hear most of the girls have no other place to go as it's too dangerous to leave the school during the war. Coppola explores the figurative angle with her stylistic direction. It's all about what we see, not what is said. The eerie fog surrounding a desolate Farmsworth Seminary is a frequent establishing shot. The unsettling silence surrounding the area makes it seem like it's the only house in the world. Its large foreboding fence is massive and menacing. Although the school house gives the girls shelter, it appears as a cage to keep trapping them inside. All ties to the outside world are virtually nonexistent until John arrives. Coppola captures tension the second he enters that menacing fence. Is he trustworthy? The tension escalates among the women and John moment by moment as it feels things could unravel at any second.
While there are a number of impressive performances in The Beguiled, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, and Kirsten Dunst are the stand outs.
Nicole Kidman continues her year of excellent acting roles as Martha, the leader of the schoolhouse. There's a hierarchy present and it's clear that Martha is at the top. When John arrives that hierarchy is disrupted. Kidman portrays Martha as a woman struggling to maintain order while chaos ensues in the house.
Collin Farrell is excellent as John McBurney. Although he seems quite charming to the women, there's an air of mystery to him. We know he ran away and abandoned his fellow soldiers, but not much else. It's difficult to know if John is kind or dangerous. Farrell keeps the audience guessing at every moment with his portrayal of McBurny.
Kirsten Dunst is a staple in Sofia Coppola's films. Here she portrays Edwina, a schoolteacher who wants nothing more than to get away from the desolate schoolhouse. Dunst, no stranger to Coppola's isolated protagonists, plays Edwina with a deep sadness. Although she is surrounded by other women, she is profoundly lonely. The war has trapped her inside too long and she yearns for life outside of the caged schoolhouse.
No surprise here, this film is gorgeous. Cinematographer Phillipe Le Sourd shoots every scene like a painting that has come to life. The dinner scenes are particularly beautiful considering all of the cast is sitting around one table in low-lighting. It's an impressive feat. Did I mention the clothes? All of the gowns are gorgeously detailed and each girl's wardrobe fits her personality. It's all in the details.
The Beguiled moves a bit slow at times, but is a beautifully shot drama crawling with an eerie atmosphere of suspense. As the fog clears, it proves itself to be quite a compelling social commentary on the lives of women in the Civil War era.
My Rating: 8/10