In the midst of the Civil War, love, violence, and feminism are intertwined.
By Irene Enlow
Sultry, spooky, and sensual, The Beguiled, which is playing at FilmScene, is a dark summer tale that explores the fierceness that lurks beneath femininity. When the members of a Civil War-era Southern girls’ school find a wounded Union soldier as an unexpected guest, lust quickly blossoms into violence.
Based on a novel by Thomas Cullinan (1966) and directed by Sofia Coppola of Lost in Translation and The Bling Ring, the film, which begins with slow, simmering shots of Spanish moss and spider webs, descends abruptly into a whirlwind of bloodied lace, broken glass, and the terrorized screams of the maimed.
To beguile, in a dated sense, can be defined as to pass the time pleasantly — something both the isolated schoolgirls and the wounded man attempt to do, for a short time together, as they bond over music and gardening.
In a more modern use of the term, however, to beguile can mean to charm deceptively, and as the film goes on, it is difficult to determine who is more beguiling — the enemy soldier who treats the girls of the boarding school like sisters and lovers, only for his own gain, or the girls themselves, who smile cheerfully and discuss their embroidery as they feed him poison mushrooms in a candlelit dinner.
The Beguiled is particularly captivating because of its refreshing take on the role of femininity — the Civil War is a topic dominated by masculine narratives, yet in this film, the women outnumber and, ultimately, outmaneuver the man.
In The Beguiled, the war remains always just on the horizon, but when a battle that is just as bloody and terrifying erupts in the home, the girls, who have been hiding from conflict, are capable of fighting for themselves … and winning.
The Beguiled boasts a star-studded cast, with Colin Farrell as the convalescent Cpl. McBurney and Nicole Kidman as the chaste Miss Martha. Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning join them as two of the girls of the school who clash over the corporal’s affections. However, Oona Laurence, who plays one of the younger students, Amy, steals the show with her portrayal of a cheeky, capable girl with a kind heart. The film has quite a few child actors in addition to Laurence, who all admirably capture the spirit of their roles while still retaining a sense of genuine playfulness.
With a heavy heat hanging over Iowa City, not to mention intermittent bursts of Fourth of July fireworks, it was easy to transition out of the torrid weather and cannon fire of The Beguiled and back into FilmScene.
Sarah Diggins, who stopped by to see the film on Monday night, enjoyed it.
“I loved it,” she said. “It was very Sofia Coppola. There was good imagery and scenic shots.”
Friend Irena Saric, who accompanied her, agreed: “I loved the spookiness of the whole movie and the costumes.”
Another audience member, Hunter Brown, said, “It was thought-provoking, and I enjoyed it.”
The Beguiled adds a perfect dose of horror to the humid, summer days, and its unique feminist takeaway is refreshing enough to help you forget that you’re sweltering … at least for a little while.
