Rating: 3.5/5
A preteen girl finds a wounded Union soldier (Clint Eastwood) and brings him to the Confederate boarding school she belongs to. Eastwood tries out his rizz on everyone he can — including the younger girls — stirring their repressed desires and their fears of a Union soldier who may hurt them. And yet, when the Confederate patrol passes by, the women opt to keep his presence a secret
Several women harbor secret feelings for Eastwood, each trying to vie for his attention and receive it. As Eastwood lies his way into their hearts, he plays fast and loose and lets one girl see him kiss another. From there, the tensions brew until Eastwood reveals himself for who he is
The film deals with how repression can only work as a coping mechanism for so long, that such secrecy can distort the world around you and prevent you from seeing who will care for you and who is exploiting your wound
I like Eastwood as a villain. I Ike how dark and unhinged this movie gets. I knew a little about it — I’d seen Eastwood kissing a 12-year-old discussed out of context, and it’s worse in context
A fun and disturbing potboiler with a great ending