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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Don Siegel
USA 1971

 

From Don Siegel, the legendary director of Madigan, Coogan’s Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Charley Varrick, The Black Windmill and The Shootist, comes this tense psychological drama of love and betrayal starring screen legend Clint Eastwood (For a Few Dollars More, Play Misty for Me) with Geraldine Page (The Trip to Bountiful), Elizabeth Hartman (The Group), Jo Ann Harris (Act of Vengeance), Pamelyn Ferdin (The Mephisto Waltz) and Melody Thomas Scott (The Young and the Restless). During the Civil War, a wounded Union soldier is sheltered by the headmistress and students of a girls’ academy in the South. As his health returns, his desire increases—but can he trust these enemy women not to turn him in? He takes his chances but soon realizes that his benefactress can’t be trusted... with his love or with his life! His lustful ambition turns quickly against him and the story follows him through a series of nerve-shattering events, including realistic scenes that are among the boldest, most shocking ever witnessed on film.

***

Combining the conventions of both Western and Grand Guignol chiller, and often directed as if it were an art movie, this is one of Siegel and Eastwood's strangest - and most beguiling - collaborations. Eastwood is the Yankee soldier, who after being wounded during the Civil War, takes refuge in an isolated Southern seminary for young women. Shut away from the world, the women project their romantic fantasies on to him, and he responds with callous, male manipulation. But jealousy and resentment raise their heads, and he finds himself in a world of brutal revenge. Beautifully shot by Bruce Surtees, carefully paced, it's a haunting, elegant work that seems to have influenced the troubled sexuality of Eastwood's own Play Misty for Me and Tightrope.

Excerpt from Timeout located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: January 23rd, 1971

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:45:18.020        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 40,394,557,226 bytes

Feature: 33,002,268,672 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 40,394,557,226 bytes

Feature: 33,002,268,672 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger
Interview with Melody Thomas Scott (17:54)
The Beguiled, Misty, Don and Clint – Featurette (6:13)
TRAILERS FROM HELL with John Landis (2:52)
Theatrical Trailer (2:43)
Reversible Art
Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase


Blu-ray Release Date:
November 10th, 2020
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 10

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (November 2020): Kino have transferred Don Siegel's The Beguiled to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". Like the other 'Special Edition' Clint Eastwood films being released on Blu-ray by Kino (Play Misty For Me, Joe Kidd, Two Mules for Sister Sara, High Plains Drifter, The Eiger Sanction) the image quality is very strong with authentic colors, tight lines, depth and grain support. There was an earlier Blu-ray of The Beguiled but I don't own it to compare. This is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and the resulting image is highly pleasing.

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original English language. It exports the film's audio effectively. The score is by Argentinean Lalo Schifrin (famous as the guy behind the original Mission: Impossible theme as well as Joe Kidd, Rollercoaster, Charley Varrick, The Nude Bomb, Day of the Animals, Hit!, Man on a Swing, The Manitou, Tango and many other films) suitably supporting the film. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Kat Ellinger. Kat discusses The Beguiled as a 'gothic masterpiece in the perverse', occupying some space in the anti-western sub-genre, citing quotes from Don Siegel's biography (A Siegel Film: An Autobiography), identifying this as an atypical Siegel (and Eastwood) film; not macho but one of his most interesting films, how the director as unhappy with the advertising for the film, more The Beguiled has more dialogue for Clint than in his many of his other films as well as talking about sexual threats, the charge of misogyny against the film and much more. I thought it was one of her best commentaries. There is an 18-minute interview with Melody Thomas Scott (Abigail) who recalls her young contribution and memories of Clint in The Beguiled. Also included is the older, 6-minute, The Beguiled, Misty, Don and Clint featurette which has brief input from Richard Schickel and others. There is a John Landis led Trailers From Hell video, a theatrical trailer and the package sports reversible art and a limited edition O-Card slipcase. I would have liked to see a new interview with Jo Ann Harris, who was reported to have a long term affair with Clint.

Don Siegel's The Beguiled has become a significant part of the cinema conversation in the years since its initial release... for it's sexual repression undercurrent and Clint in a less-typical role... in a less typical Siegel film. It has an unusually dark side as well and, as a whole, being a fascinating film experience. Here we get the riveting Kat Ellinger commentary, interviews and a stellar a/v presentation.  These new Kino Eastwood Blu-rays (Play Misty For Me, Joe Kidd, Two Mules for Sister Sara, High Plains Drifter, The Eiger Sanction) have all been top-shelf so far. This is a keeper. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze

 


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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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