What is Focus Features The Beguiled?
Focus Features' 2017 film "The Beguiled" is a thrilling tale of survival set during the American Civil War. The film focuses on an injured Union soldier, Corporal John McBurney, who is discovered and taken in by a group of women at a girl's school in Virginia. As he recovers under their care, tensions rise and secrets are revealed among the women, who begin to develop feelings for the charming McBurney.
Directed by Sofia Coppola, "The Beguiled" is a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, which was based on the novel "A Painted Devil" by Thomas Cullinan. The film stars Colin Farrell as McBurney, as well as Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning as the women of the school.
Coppola's direction creates a haunting atmosphere that perfectly captures the tension and unease among the characters. Each shot is beautifully composed, with the lush surroundings of the school serving as a stark contrast to the violence and danger of the Civil War outside.
As the plot unfolds, the audience is taken on a journey of twists and turns, culminating in a thrilling finale that leaves one questioning who is truly in control. "The Beguiled" is a slow-burning thriller that showcases some superb performances from its cast and is a must-watch for fans of the genre.
Frequently Asked Questions about focus features the beguiled
The tragedy of men and women is that each has something the other needs, but how to get it? To lie and cheat your way into love is a sure way to ultimately lose it.
Louisiana
The Beguiled was filmed in Louisiana, around New Orleans, although the plot is set in Virginia. Just in case you haven't watched the movie yet, we tried to keep this post spoiler-free as much as possible.
Promptly after eating the mushrooms, he falls to the floor in the throes of death. While the others are sewing McBurney's body into a shroud, Miss Morrow looks on, devastated. The film ends with the women dragging McBurney's body to the road so that he will be found by the next Confederate soldiers who pass by.
“We shot at dusk and sunset to amplify the sense of immediate danger, for example. “At the same time, I had to duplicate the oppressive tone for the interior daylight, and for the night interiors with candlelight. I tried to use as few lights as possible to really capture the most natural aspect of a scene.
1971
The Beguiled is a 1971 American Southern Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page and Elizabeth Hartman.
Thomas P. CullinanAlbert Maltz
The Beguiled/Story by
It's not often you can say that remake actually surpasses the original but that's exactly the case with Sofia Coppola's adaptation of The Beguiled (originally done by Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood in 1971). Coppola has a strong handling of the material and a masterful balance of tone and pace.
“According to historians and several women's journals from the time, many slaves had departed, and a great number of white women of the South were left in isolation, holding on to a world whose time had rightly come to an end - a world built on slave labor,” Coppola wrote, calling her decisions “historically accurate.” ...
to deceive by cunning
beguiled; beguiling. 1. : to deceive by cunning means.
Beguiled or The Beguiled can refer to: To be subject to deception. To be subject to charisma. The Beguiled, a 1966 novel about the American civil war by Thomas P. Cullinan.
deceive
Meaning of beguiled in English
to persuade, attract, or interest someone, sometimes in order to deceive them : He was completely beguiled by her beauty. The salesman beguiled him into buying a car he didn't want.
1966
Thomas Cullinan (1919–1995) was a novelist and playwright, as well as a writer for television. In addition to The Beguiled (1966), he wrote three other novels - The Besieged (1970), The Eighth Sacrament (1977), and The Bedeviled (1978) - as well as several plays, which are still produced.
The 1971 version is far superior, if only because it does not ignore the “peculiar institution.” The only way the remake even acknowledges slavery is when early in the film the Union soldier is told the slaves have all run away. This is realistic, of course, especially since the film is set in 1864.
Someone who beguiles is tricky and often charming, like when a smooth-talking friend tries to beguile you into giving them your allowance. The word beguile is from Middle English, and while guile involves deceit, to beguile means to spend time pleasantly, even if it involves trickery.
