Sofia Coppola‘s The Beguiled might get lost in the shuffle amid all the big summer blockbusters set to crash their way into cinemas in a few months, but as with the directors’ other work, it’s shaping up to be an enigmatic film.
Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Cullinan, the film stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell and Elle Fanning. Kidman plays the headmistress of a seminary for young ladies in Civil War-era Virginia. The school’s seclusion is disrupted when a wounded soldier from the Union Army (Farrell) arrives and kicks off a yarn of ‘seduction and jealousy’.
New images from the film have come to light, revealing the gothic aesthetic and moody atmosphere. This looks like the perfect film for Coppola to tackle, who’s always been adept at mixing genres in unique ways (see: Marie Antoinette and the sadly unappreciated Bling Ring).
Coppola has teamed up with cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd (Wong Kar Wai‘s The Grandmaster) and Somewhere costume designer Stacey Battat to create the gorgeous, haunting images you see below.
The beauty of Coppola’s work is that it rarely exists within one realm of cinema and she rarely plays it safe. It’ll be interesting and exciting to see where she goes with this. Until the Friday, June 30 release date arrives, check out the stills below for a taste of The Beguiled.
#Peace.Love.TheBeguiled
