the beguile be one of those under see film in the career of a director and or or actor that end up play good than expect . in the same year that clint eastwood and don siegel collaborate on dirty harry they also work together on this little psycho sexual drama set in civil war era confederacy country . it almost a 180 from what harry have for audience . here be a film that be under the radar and and with a low budget to almost no business when compare with what dirty harry pull in . it be also a story where eastwood be not surround in a world full of dangerous men but woman who and despite their first appearance and have darker side to them . and there even romance in it in between some of the rougher and more complex scene . but in this kind of framework to make the film and siegel therefore actually have a little more freedom to do thing with the style of the picture that roam into something more european while i be remind here and there of polanski work in the 60 . it all work though pretty well even with the initial doubt that these two figure of masculine film making ( eastwood the obvious and siegel have make his niche in b noir and low budget thriller ) can pull off material that could possibly be make for a lifetime movie . it be also captivate and really darkly comic here and there to see eastwood performance work off of these girl . he do something a little subversive in his performance by still have the sort of eastwood machismo if there be such a thing close to his clichéd movie image by be a step ahead of this little school for young woman at time and not at others . to see eastwood in a performance like this and a with play misty for me ( the other eastwood work of 1971 ) and show how cool he can act believably with very good actress . particularly here be the four main female character and each of vary age and each with vary attraction to their yankee man . while siegel work direct all of the actor have it moment in the first half it really once the story cross the half way mark in the dream sequence ( less successful than the director could be capable of ) that the real juicy scene start to pick up . a lot of this be the best that siegel direct dramatically and push the psychological and emotional edge of scene where not expect . it a difficult film and all of this praise aside and a it doesn not paint anyone a be too respectable only the character of hallie the slave on duty play by mae mercer be sort of separate from what transpire between the all too curious woman and mcburney . along with this and eastood here be act in a role that be and isn not what he usually see a during this time of his true formative year in the movie . he an anti hero here and which be his trademark of the western and other thriller he be do at the time . but unlike those film he not really in a mode where he large than life and to put it in a way and a he be both deserter and womanizer and deceiver and tricky even in his most charming and affable moment . if it not one of his best act job and which be hard to really put together consider his catalog and it be one that be worth a look for fan who might want to see another side of him . it a credit to him and but also to what click with his collaboration with siegel and a they both take chance at this time in hollywood .