What was I doing in 2017 that I missed The Beguiled?  In looking through the titles currently on Netflix, I paused on it a couple of times before picking another movie.  Each time, I took it for a feature produced by the streaming service, which, it has to be admitted, can be a mixed bag.  I could tell that it had Nicole Kidman in it, but not much beyond this fact other than it being set during the Civil War.  After finally choosing and watching it, it occurred to me that there is more to this production than I assumed.  It has a solid cast and it is directed by Sofia Coppola.  I have been on a bit of a kick of her movies lately, seeing Priscilla in the theater, re-watching Marie Antoinette (2006) in my spare time, finally addressing Lost in Translation (2003) fairly recently, and now viewing The Beguiled.  All this is beginning to make me think that I am a genuine fan of her work.  So far, Marie Antoinette is my favorite, but I would submit to you that The Beguiled is of interest, too.

Amy (Oona Laurence) is one of The Beguiled, and it is her discovery of the wounded Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell) while out picking wild mushrooms that leads to her earning this title.  It is the summer of 1864 in Virginia, and she lives at Ms. Martha Farnsworth’s (Nicole Kidman) school for girls while the Civil War rages nearby.  Being the kindhearted girl that she is, Amy helps the struggling Corporal McBurney to the Farnsworth School to have his marred leg mended.  He is barely conscious when he is dropped on the front lawn, and the other girls and women of the establishment are scandalized by his presence, not only because he is a man but also due to him being a Yankee soldier and them being Southern sympathizers.  Nonetheless, Ms. Farnsworth orders that he be brought inside for care.  Despite their declarations of distaste, all of them are interested in some fashion by this visitor.  It is important to keep the word “visitor” in mind when talking about Corporal McBurney considering Ms. Farnsworth wants him to be on his way as soon as he is able.  This point is underscored by her insistence on referring to him by his formal rank and surname.  Still, when a column of Confederate soldiers passes by the house and she has the opportunity to hand him over, she decides against it.  She will later explain that this is due to the fact that he is too weak to move, a decision with which the others come to agree.  As long as he is in the house, though, she attempts to get the others to keep their distance.  This rule becomes increasingly ignored as Corporal McBurney’s health is restored because he is eager to chat with all of them.  Some try to at least partially heed Ms. Farnsworth’s wishes, except Alicia (Elle Fanning).  She is the most vocal about her displeasure for having a “blue belly” in the house initially, but soon comes to see him as a man in the sort of way that makes parents or in this case school mistresses, worry.  Another source of concern is Ms. Farnsworth’s assistant, Ms. Edwina Morrow (Kirsten Dunst).  Being the second oldest, she spends the most time with Corporal McBurney outside of Ms. Farnsworth.  While the school mistress appears incorruptible, Ms. Morrow is more pliant and soon opens up about her past.  He feeds into her eagerness to connect, and soon he is admitting his love for her.  In one form or another, all the females express a fondness for him, and he is given more freedom of the grounds as his mobility returns.  Indeed, he is trying to make himself useful by performing certain tasks, hoping that Ms. Farnsworth will let him stay instead of insisting that he must go.  Nonetheless, the school mistress remains steadfast, but gives the soldier, who had deserted as it turns out, a good meal eaten with everyone else as a sendoff.  Before this takes place, he had asked Ms. Morrow if he may come to her room that night.  When the appointed hour comes and goes without him showing up, she goes looking for him.  She is drawn by a commotion in Alicia’s room, and finds Corporal McBurney in the young woman’s bed.  He promptly springs forward, attempting to explain himself to Ms. Morrow, who pushes him away in her anger over the betrayal.  This results in a tumble down the stairs and the breaking of his already fragile leg.  Believing there is little else to do, Ms. Farnsworth makes the decision to amputate.  When Corporal McBurney awakens to find one of his appendages missing, he reacts with horror.  He finds the gun that Ms. Farnsworth keeps for protection, and uses it to threaten the women.  Ms. Farnsworth attempts to send Amy to tie a blue cloth to the front gate, signaling that they have a Yankee soldier, but the girl is caught.  Feeling like he has finally overpowered the school, he decides to lay down to rest.  Ms. Morrow finally goes to him, and allows him to have his way with her.  I think this is the most delicate way to put it, although it is not an overly graphic scene.  As this goes on, Ms. Farnsworth and the others come to the conclusion that something must be done about Corporal McBurney.  Amy speaks up, reminding them of the soldier’s love for mushrooms.  Hence, she is sent to pick some of the poisonous variety with the intent that they will be cooked and served to him.  And this is exactly what proceeds, during a dinner fraught with tension as they watch him ingest the tainted fungi.  With Corporal McBurney dead, they sew him into a canvas bag and leave him at the gate to be picked up by the Confederates.

There are aspects of The Beguiled that intrigued me, and others that made me uncomfortable.  The latter parts are probably predictable.  The physical altercations, of all natures, with Alicia and Ms. Morrow are not easy to watch.  I was also conflicted by their decision to murder Corporal McBurney, particularly since the idea comes from an adolescent.  What adds to my discomfiture is the fact that they consider themselves to be devout Christians.  Indeed, in explaining the rightness of Amy’s actions in bringing the wounded soldier to the house, Ms. Farnsworth refers to it as being “the Christian thing to do.”  I appreciate that phrase and wish it held the same weight as it once did.  No matter how he acted, I am not sure killing him is “the Christian thing to do.”  It does not exactly follow Matthew 5:39, which is where we get the concept of turning the other cheek.  I also do not mean that these women are devout Christians in the cultural sense of the term, as if this was just a sign of the times.  Somewhat confusingly, their school is referred to as a seminary.  In Catholicism, this is where priests are trained.  Protestants sects also send their ministers to similar schools for theological instruction, which includes men and women.  I cannot say what branch of Christianity to which these women belong. Historically speaking, it would make sense for them to be Protestant, although they seem to have a knowledge of Catholicism and they make the Sign of the Cross at one point.  This is all a long way of saying that I do not know, nor is the film definitive.  What is important is that they pray together nightly, which, before Corporal McBurney shows his true character, included wishes for his well-being.

When we see people like the women in The Beguiled take justice into their own hands, we tend to see them as being vindicated.  Corporal McBurney is not a nice man, and we naturally want to see his actions punished.  What we tend to forget is that God sees what is happening, too, and will have something in mind for such people beyond our understanding.  In the meantime, you can view a film like this one that speaks to these themes that has the look and feel of an authentic piece of cinema.