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When a two fisted Civil War veteran rides into town and sees a damsel in distress, what else would he do but rescue her? So starts Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), an oater with a twist. Hogan (Clint Eastwood in his sexy prime) rescues the beautiful woman who is being attacked. He immediately falls in lust. To his shock and dismay, the woman dons a nun's habit and tells him she's Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine).
Clint Eastwood
He's there, in the Mexican desert because, as a mercenary, he has signed on to help Mexican freedom fighters in their war against the French. By a stroke of good luck (or perhaps through the hand of God), Sister Sara is also on the side of the Mexicans. She convinces Hogan to take her with him to the French garrison where the plan is for him to fight alongside the Mexicans. It's never clear why she wants to go so badly, but it really doesn't matter as long as he takes her along.
Hogan is a great romantic hero. He sublimates his desire for Sister Sara out of respect for her calling, and she spends a lot of time praying. She offers absolution to a dying French officer who seems to recognize her just before he takes his last breath. A woman of great contradiction, now and then a curse word slips through her sacrosanct lips, and she guzzles tequila like a barfly.
Eastwood & Shirley MacLaine
During their trek through the wilds of Mexico, they manage to avoid the French soldiers who are hot on their trail, blow up a train trestle, and meet up with Mexican freedom fighters. But the magic of the film is not in the journey but the relationship that develops between the hard-hitting cowboy and the streetwise nun.
There's a big surprise in store for Hogan - and the audience - which comes shortly before the grand finale, an exciting shoot-em-up ending. Two Mules for Sister Sara is a different kind of cowboy movie, and it's great fun.
Director: Don Siegel
Screenplay: Albert Maltz; Story by Bud Boetticher
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Shirley MacLaine
Rating: Rated PG for language and sexual innuendo
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
DVD Release Date:
Run Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Studio: Universal Home Entertainment
Format: Color, Widescreen
Photo Credits: Universal Pictures
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