MODERN TAKE ON OLD TALE
Coppola remakes The Beguiled
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The new film’s less a remake and more of a reinvention.
Unlike the 1971 thriller starring Clint Eastwood, Sofia Coppola’s version has more emphasis on the female point of view while referencing the intrigue of Thomas Cullinan’s novel. The latest picture is more modest than the Eastwood film, as well. Coppola shot her production in and around New Orleans over a quick 26 days. 2
New invites to the Sofia party are Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.
The director says she always appreciated Farrell’s ability to charm, but she also responded to his intensity required for his role of the hunter who becomes the hunted. Coppola also knew Kidman had the stature and poise to play Miss Martha while providing “a little twisted” edge she had also displayed in To Die For.
Coincidently, Kidman and Farrell had wrapped The Killing of a Sacred Deer before they arrived at The Beguiled set, so they didn’t need a period of getting to know each other before diving into their new portrayals. 3 Reunited for the right reasons. Kirsten Dunst played the title role in Coppola’s post-modern period piece Marie Antoinette and jumped at the opportunity to work with the filmmaker again. Elle Fanning was 11 when she costarred in the director’s Somewhere. Now 18, Fanning has a chance to visit the dark side with her portrayal. 4
The Madewood Plantation House is another character in the movie
The building is a two-hour drive outside of New Orleans. The structure plays the Farnsworth seminary, the girls’ school where most of the action takes place.
Madewood was built in the mid19th century but the Civil War delayed its completion until after the South surrendered. Besides its historical credibility, Madewood is known for something else. The building was featured in Beyoncé’s Sorry music video. 5 Yes, Coppola Cannes The filmmaker won the best director award at the recent Cannes Film Festival for her Beguiled efforts. She’s the second woman to win the award. Soviet filmmaker Yuliya Solntseva was the first for 1961’s The Chronicle of Flaming Years. bthompson@postmedia.com