Much in the style of her previous films, The Beguiled’s cast finds themselves trapped by their circumstances. Set in Virginia during the Civil War, the film chronicles what happens when a wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) is taken in by six women and girls at a plantation that previously operated as a girls’ school. Stiff and polite on the outside, the women are filled with tension at this newcomer’s arrival. Even though the film is beautifully shot, funnier than anticipated, and an enjoyable watch, it feels just out of reach of greatness.
Colin Farrell plays his usual mix of charming and dangerous as the Irish Corporal John McBurney, found in the fields by young Miss Amy (Oona Laurence) and deposited into the care of Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) and her pupils. Acting, in part, as the audience surrogate for the first half, Farrell seems as innocent as can be as he recovers, until he realizes his effect on the ladies of the household. Even Miss Martha can’t help but get a little hot and bothered when she’s giving the unconscious Corporal a sponge bath. They try to resist his charms but then fall prey to them anyway by dressing up, competing for his attention, or complimenting him. These scenes were funnier than anticipated, simply because yes, it’s very true that women cooped up in a house with other women for years on end would indeed freak the heck out to have Colin Farrell deposited on their doorstep. It’s surprising levity for a film so stylized and buttoned-up, but that’s what makes it all the more charming.
The humor continues but turns dark in the second half, as the Corporal’s relationship with each woman changes and his relationship with the house sours. As John McBurney reveals his true nature and begins to fall prey to the same isolation the women have been dealing with for years, the ladies of the house act quickly and ruthlessly to protect themselves, led by a strong performance from Kidman’s Miss Martha. If the film was aiming for seriousness, it certainly misses the mark as the second half garnered more laughs than gasps.
Still, the direction and cinematography are stellar. There’s a strong focus on only using natural light that lends the house a gothic quality, mostly dim and gray. Kidman and Dunst’s performances are great. Kidman mixes her Miss Martha with equal parts sternness and strength while Dunst handles the quiet motivations of Miss Edwina with precise subtlety.
Coming across as melodramatic and predictable in the second half, The Beguiled fails to rise above the status quo. Certainly beautiful and entertaining, it’s a worthwhile tale of female empowerment.
