Photo: Youtube.
Leave it to Sofia Coppola to give us a glimpse at one of the most stirring movies due out later this year. The Beguiled stars a stacked cast featuring Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning (who each have previously worked with Coppola) along with Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. The dark romance takes place during the Civil War in a large and spooky Southern manor that houses a school for young women. Coppola is responsible for the script of the remake (based on a 1966 book and 1971 movie by the same name) which means it will be delicate, thoughtful, and quietly intense. From the trailer alone, there's a fair amount of sexual tension and horror — it's a different genre for her, but I think she can pull it off.
Coppola's main gift at filmography, in addition to having awesome soundtracks, is her treatment of women. Most of the leading ladies in her films are confined to their relationships (Lost In Translation), their homes (Virgin Suicides), or their responsibilities (Marie Antoinette). Other times they're too young to know that their entrapment is unavoidable (Somewhere), or court mandated (Bling Ring). And her new film follows along this same compelling narrative, but with a historical and Gothic twist: in it, Farrell is a wounded Union soldier who is taken in by a stern-faced headmaster and her students during the Civil War. They tend to him physically as his presence alone takes a toll on all the women emotionally.
In the trailer, Kidman, as the headmaster, looks vengeful and evil. Dunst, as the teacher, looks naive and heartbroken. Fanning, as the student, looks devious and troubled. Farrell, as the injured stranger, looks handsome and deceptive. I can't wait.
Check out the trailer for The Beguiled below.