Beauty & betrayal are the strong themes in ‘THE BEGUILED’ poster

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

Not only is Sofia Coppola’s THE BEGUILED an adaptation of the novel by Thomas Cullinan, it’s also a remake of the 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. What intrigues me most about this remake is the fact Coppola brings a perspective to the material the original lacks – that of a filmmaker who’s adept at coaxing the nuances and subtleties director Don Siegel’s original may have glossed over. Her involvement inherently gives it a more strikingly feminist charge.

Take a look at each of the trailers as comparison.

Here’s the official synopsis from Coppola’s remake:

The story unfolds during the Civil War, at a Southern girls’ boarding school. Its sheltered young women take in an injured enemy soldier. As they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous rivalries, and taboos are broken in an unexpected turn of events.

A new poster was released today – one that emphasizes the danger that lurks underneath the beautiful facade. Bathed in a warm glow, these gorgeous women (a.k.a. “vengeful bitches”) all sport emotions that stand in juxtaposition to the poster’s superficial beauty, perhaps hinting at whatever duplicitous actions they might be taking during the course of this film. Colin Farrell’s “prisoner” character is minimized, in favor of the ladies’ defiance of his wants.

THE BEGUILED world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival. It opens in NY and LA June 23 and expands to more theaters on June 30.