Two Mules for Sister Sara

Plot synopsis:
A gunslinger named Hogan spots and saves a naked woman from being gang-raped by several bandits whom he shoots and kills. He later learns that the woman, Sara, is a nun working with a group of Mexican revolutionaries who are fighting the French. When Sara requests that Hogan takes her to a Mexican camp, he agrees because he had previously arranged to help the Mexican revolutionaries attack the French garrison in exchange for a portion of the garrison's strongbox, if they are successful.
As the duo heads towards the camp, Hogan is surprised that the nun smokes his cigars and drinks his whiskey. Before he attempts to detonate a charge to destroy a French ammunition train, he is shot with an arrow in the shoulder. Sara is able to bandage him, but he is still unable to shoot the charge to disable the train himself. Sara assists him in aiming his rifle, and the two succeed in destroying the train together. Eventually the two reach Juarista commander Col. Beltran's camp and Sara reveals the layout of the French garrison. She then reveals to Hogan that she is not a nun but a prostitute posing as a nun. Although Hogan is shocked the two team up, infiltrate the fortress and open the gates for the Mexican revolutionary forces to swarm through.
A battle ensues. Hogan singlehandedly guns down several French soldiers. The French retreat and the Mexicans capture the fort. As promised, Hogan receives a large portion of the riches. Now wealthy and his job completed, Hogan sets off with Sara, whom he has fallen in love with, for further adventures.

Tags: cult, avant garde, murder, violence

Review:
Don Siegel's "Two Mules For Sister Sara" starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine is certainly not one of the brilliant Westerns with Eastwood, but it is a very well directed, greatly acted and very amusing little Western comedy with good wit that highly entertains.
Eastwood, who is cool as always, and the lovable MacLaine match perfectly, and the plot has some nice twists (although it should be said that some of the 'twists' are not really too surprising).After gunsling Hogan (Eastwood) saves a nun named Sara (MacLaine) from a bunch of guys who wanted to rape her in the middle of the desert by shooting them, he now has to take care of her, which annoys him.
It's a time of revolution against the French in Mexico, and while Hogan, who is interested in quick money, will fight for whichever side pays well (which happens to be the revolutionaries), his new traveling companion Sara is very obviously an idealistic supporter of the revolutionary Juaristas...As mentioned above, "Two Mules For Sister Sara" can in no way come up to the brilliance of Eastwood movies such as Leone's Dollar Trilogy (few movies can) or Eastwood's very own "High Plains Drifter" of 1973.
Clint Eastwood has always been the epitome of coolness, especially in his Westerns, and MacLaine is great in her role of the feisty sister Sara.
While in some ways Clint's character isn't that much different from some of his previous cowboys (he's great with a gun and is motivated by greed....until the end...just like in FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE), the chemistry of adding Shirley MacLaine really changes the film.
This, combined with a somewhat restrained score by Ennio Morricone, make this movie look in many ways like a "Spaghetti Western", though it was financed and directed by Americans.
With the intervention of Napoleon III of France, Archduque Maximilian was installed as emperor in Mexico but Mexican countrymen known as Juaristas (Juarez' resistance) were fighting to demonstrate that their country could act independently, that - as the reform contended - all men were equal under law, and that foreign monarchical adventures in Mexico were futile...Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine), presumably a nun, has adopted their cause and is being pursued by the French army for raising money to the Juaristas...
She smokes cigars, she drinks whiskey and her language comes to be every day more profane...Hogan's fascination with her arrives at its peak when she removes an Indian arrow from his shoulder, having rendering him half insensible by intoxicating him with shots of Whiskey...After joining her to blow up a French supply train, he is persuaded to help a group of Juaristas led by Colonel Beltran (Manolo Fabregas) in a final attack on a French garrison...The climax of "Two Mules for Sister Sara" displays the differences between Leone's conclusion which the 'Stranger' merely disappears into the mists of time...
The Professionals, is one favorite, another is, "Two Mules for Sister Sara." In this story we have an American mercenary (Clint Eastwood) named Hogan who has bitter memories of the Civil War and decides to try for a quick Gold fortune in Mexico.
Along the way, Hogan is joined by a traveling Catholic Nun, named Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine) who has more secrets than just fear of being captured by the French.
It deals with a nun called Sara (Shirley MacLaine) and two mules (second mule was actually a burro) , as she is attacked by three outlaws , being rescued by a drifter named Hogan (Clint Eastwood) , who is on his way across Mexican desert and becoming wary of her religious nature .
¨Two mules and sister Sara¨ is an enjoyable film for Clint Eastwood and Donald Siegel enthusiasts , including their usual trademarks , it's full of which made their films so memorable, others might find it a bit long but no one can deny its sense of style what achieved a great burst of world-wide popularity ..
Profane Sister Sara recruits a drifter to help Mexican rebels attack a French fort.This is Clint in the prime of his B Western career, and ultimately one of his very best films, western or not.
Shirley MacLaine kicks in a convincing performance as the Profane Sister Sara, who conducts business like a wrangler.Fraught with intrigue, some great performances, and an interesting story line, this well executed western makes for a fine rainy Saturday afternoon.
To tell you the truth, I expected 'Two Mules for Sister Sara' to be a mediocre movie, only trying to take advantage of Eastwood's success with Sergio Leone's film.
Also, many goofs were present, including the dynamite usage, downgrading the overall result.I definitely recommend 'Two Mules for Sister Sara' to Eastwood and western fans.
While, Two Mules For Sister Sara is not one of Clint's absolute best westerns, it is a solid film in its own right and has a lot of the same look and feel that resembles his Italian westerns.
She had pretty good chemistry with Clint and Two Mules For Sister Sara is a solid and entertaining western..
While traveling from the United States into Mexico a cowboy by the name of "Hogan" (Clint Eastwood) comes across a scene in which a nun named "Sister Sara" (Shirley MacLaine) is about to be raped by three outlaws.
In many respects this movie shares a similarity with Clint Eastwood's previous "Spaghetti Westerns" except that the addition of Shirley MacLaine adds another dimension to this film which was lacking from the others.
Shirley MacLaine (Sara) is on the verge of being raped when Clint Eastwood (Hogan) arrives on the scene.
From then on we have a buddy-buddy film as both Shirley and Clint work towards the same goal of kicking some French butt in Mexico some time in the 1800s.This is an easy-to-watch Western that doesn't assault our ears with relentless shooting until the last 15 minutes or so.
While it is not a great film, it does a very good job of fitting actors, actresses & roles together.This film is about the only time Shirley & Clint Eastwood work together.
Two Mules For Sister Sara (1970)Plot In A Paragraph: Nun Sara (Shirley MacLaine) is saved from certain rape from cowboys by Hogan (Clint Eastwood) who is preparing for a future mission to capture a French fort.
Shirley MacLaine gets top billing in the film's credits (though my DVD and all the art work bills Clint top) This was the last time Clint Eastwood received second billing (or anything less than first) until A Perfect World, and the only time his leading lady was played by an A-list star until The Bridges of Madison County.
After a nun named Sara (Shirley MacLaine) is rescued from three rowdy rapists by a loner named Hogan (Clint Eastwood), the pair team-up and develop a working friendship as they assist the Juaristas in their fight to free Mexico from French rule.
A Panavision/Technicolor production, the music is scored by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Gabriel Figueroa.Set during the reign of Emperor Maximilian in Mexico, plot finds Eastwood as a reconnaissance drifter for hire who saves a nun (MacLaine) from being gang-raped by three cowboys.
The film pairs Eastwood (as a mysterious drifter of course) and Shirley Maclaine (posing as a nun) in an attempt to destroy a French Army garrison located in Mexico.
Meanwhile, Sara can be feisty, but MacLaine never makes her abrasive in any way and creates a very appealing character.Filmed entirely on location in Mexico, this features mostly unfamiliar supporting actors, save for guys like Manolo Fabregas as the passionate Colonel Beltran, Alberto Morin as the hearty French general LeClaire, and Armando Sylvestre as one of the American creeps at the outset.The film is extremely well shot in widescreen, and is a great looking picture, brought further to colourful life by a wonderful Ennio Morricone score that this viewer can still hear in his head as he types this.Overall, this is great fun, with endearing give-and-take between the unlikely star duo, and a fairly straightforward script (written by Albert Maltz, based on a story by filmmaker Budd Boetticher) that leads to a very rousing action climax that features the occasional burst of surprising gore.
While not as memorable as Eastwood's work with Sergio Leone, director Don Siegel's "Two Mules for Sister Sara" is an entertaining, light-hearted (despite the body count) western adventure that makes good use of its two stars.
Briefly, soldier-of-fortune Hogan (Eastwood) rescues nun-on-the-run Sara (Shirley MacLaine) from a (surprisingly genial) fate-worse-than-death only to discover that she is familiar with the French military base that he and a group of Mexican rebels are planning on attacking (needless to say: they for freedom, him for gold).
Clint Eastwood is rugged and rough (duh) as his usual cowboy self, and in Two Mules for Sister Sara, he rescues the cutest little nun in the desert, Shirley MacLaine!
In the beginning of the movie Clint Eastwood does a heroic act: he saves a woman from some brutal men.And next you see that woman wearing an outfit of a nun.Eastwood's character is named Hogan and Shirley MacLaine plays sister Sara.The movie is set in Mexico, where these two are in a mission of capturing a French fort.For that you need a fistful of dynamite.Don Siegel is the director of Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) and Ennio Morricone is behind the music.This is mighty fine western comedy.The chemistry between MacLaine and Eastwood really works.It's always great to see Clint Eastwood portraying a quiet hero in a western.He always does it with style.Shirley MacLaine is very good at portraying those strong female characters.In this one she's very good as the nun with a dirty little secret.There are many fine moments in this picture.At one point Hogan gets an arrow on his chest.Indians!
Nun Sara (Shirley MacLaine) is being attacked by cowboys and is ultimately saved by Hogan (Clint Eastwood).
Having seen Eastwood play so many cool characters, it was nice to see a different side to him and the chemistry between himself and Shirley MacLaine is the main driving force in this film - it really is just as well that they are both really good as the plot in itself is not all that strong on its own.With the film mostly being anchored by two performers, Two Mules For Sister Sara feels more character driven than anything else and due to the strong chemistry between MacLaine and Eastwood this results in the film mostly working.
Two Mules for Sister Sara is a star vehicle for Clint Eastwood- in his usual Western movie-star swagger and ultra-cool sense of humor a1nd style- and for Shirley MacLaine as a nun (in clever, convincing disguise) along for the ride.
It's got some of those good elements for a genre picture of this kind, some scenes with amusing, typically Eastwood-character-with-a-woman conversation, a surprising start to the story as well as revelatory moment later on in the film, and the inimitable Ennio Morricone score.
Looking at how Eastwood acts this scene, it's really one of the best I've seen him do in any western, as he carefully balances it out to not be too over-the-top, while keeping a certain crude charm as sister Sara lets her guard down (MacLaine, too, is quite good in the scene).
Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood's second collaboration jocousely teams Eastwood's Leone-sque soldier-of-fortune Hogan (scarcely changing his apparel and paraphernalia from Leone's Dollars Trilogy) with Shirley MacLaine's sister Sara against an extensive western landscape, to fight for a good cause, aiding Mexico's Juarista rebels to assail the colonial French army during 1860s.
Considering the pedigree that Two Mules For Sister Sara has, script by Budd Boetticher, directed by Don Siegal, and starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine we should have gotten a classic out of all this talent.
Maybe if Eastwood, Siegel, or Boetticher had more creative control all around Two Mules For Sister Sara would have fared a lot better.Clint plays a character not unlike the group of soldiers of fortune who drifted on down to Mexico after our Civil War to work for anyone who would pay them as in the Gary Cooper-Burt Lancaster film, Vera Cruz.
Eastwood's second collaboration with director Don Siegel, Two Mules for Sister Sara* was next in line to be viewed.En route to a rendezvous with Mexican freedom fighters whom he has been hired to help, a mercenary known as Hogan encounters a woman about to be raped by a group of men.
There are two thirds of a movie here before the urge to blast, bomb, and bludgeon a fortressful of French soldiers in 1860's Mexico overwhelms the good work of director Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood (he actually acts this time; he must of learned something from Coogan's Bluff!) and Shirley MacLaine (who is lovely and sexy as she hides something under all that piety).Until the third reel arrives, Siegel has a dandy little chase mystery going, with Eastwood as a mercenary in occupied Mexico saving Roman Catholic Nun MacLaine from rape and murder (but not those ridiculous fake eyelashes) before teaming up to help out his wallet and her vocation.Unfortunately, Siegel has to reveal something definitive by the last third of the flick, and that's when the wheels come off.
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" director Don Siegel and blacklisted Hollywood scenarist Albert Maltz appropriated an old Budd Boetticher scrip and turned it into a lively little shoot'em up called "Two Mules for Sister Sara." Earlier, Eastwood and Siegel had collaborated as star and director on "Coogan's Bluff," and this film, set against the French Revolution, marked their second collaboration.
This blood-splattered but amusing western comedy/drama teams Eastwood's gimlet-eyed mercenary up with an impious Catholic nun, Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine of "Sweet Charity"),in Mexico during the late 1860s when the Mexicans were throwing off the yoke of French oppression.
Clint Eastwood is at his stone faced best in this film along side Shirley Maclaine's sister Sara.
Close also in identifying the character of Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine), I don't think Hooker Sara would have cut it.All in all though, this one's a fairly entertaining Western, made so by the banter between the good sister and Clint Eastwood's character Hogan.
Clint Eastwood plays another wandering loner in Don Siegel's "Two Mules For Sister Sara".
Great flick.The director used an ingenious combination of Clint Eastwood's `Man with no name' character and Shirley MacLaine's charm to make a funny and entertaining movie.POSSIBLE SPOILER: `Every man's got a right to be a sucker once', as Hogan says.
He is teamed up with Shirley MacClain who plays the eponymous Sister Sara, a nun hiding from the French army who were occupying Mexico at the time.The film opens with Hogan (Eastwood) rescuing Sara from a group of murderous rapists in the Mexican desert, it isn't until she puts her clothes back on that he realises that she is in fact a nun.
In fact, she seems less comfortable kissing Clint than she does pulling an arrow from his shoulder.MacLaine plays Sara, a woman Eastwood's Hogan rescues from a truly lethargic rape scene, only to discover when she puts her clothes on that she is Sister Sara, a nun who needs Hogan's help escaping some French troops chasing her through Mexico.The presence of French troops in a Western is not the only deliberately incongruous thing about "Sister Sara." For starters, there's a score by Ennio Morricone, clearly mimicking his work on Leone films, only this time slapping on odd electronic noise in the melody meant to sound like mule whinnying, though more resembling an annoying truck-backing-up alarm.
Eastwood seems to be playing in one film, MacLaine in another.Director Don Siegel works hard to get us to buy MacLaine as a nun that sets Hogan's heart afire, leading to awkward dialogue like this, as she helps him ride his horse after he's been wounded:Him: "I like being in the arms of a good-looking nun.
Two Mules For Sister Sara is just as my title says, a great movie, it has a decent plot (With an excellent plot twist) and great acting from all the stars (One of the few movies that has Clint Eastwood hurt and that shows him vulnerable).In terms of effects they are good (For their time) but lacks some credibility (The Mexicans falling out of the church in the final scene is just dumb and the fight scene with the machetes just seems slow and exaggerated).
An imitation spaghetti Western directed by Don Siegel, written by Budd Boettiger, with music by Ennio Morricone, starring Clint Eastwood (he's the guy with the little cigar and the poncho) and Shirley MacLaine as a fake nun.Well, they all know their business so it should be pretty good and, in fact, it's not terrible.
It is part of a seven movie set of discs of Clint Eastwood movies.In this story Shirley MacLaine is sister Sara.
Despite what others might think I thought the pairing worked rather well with Eastwood in a snug role as the stubbornly, bitter mercenary Hogan and MacLaine was good as the vaguely, faithful Sister Sara.
Another minus is that lead actors Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood have no chemistry!However, it does have it's share of great lines and good moments, just not as much as there should have been.
Basically in Mexico, drifter Hogan (Clint Eastwood) saves nun Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine) from being raped by three cowboy thugs, who he shoots and kills, and he finds out she is working for a group of Mexican revolutionaries fighting the French.
"Two Mules for Sister Sara" is one of a number of collaborations between Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel, who also worked together in "Coogan's Bluff", "Dirty Harry", "The Beguiled" and "Escape from Alcatraz".
Eastwood plays an American drifter named Hogan who while in Mexico saves a nun named Sister Sara from being gang-raped.
"Two Mules for Sister Sara", however, is not a bad film, although it falls a long way short of being a great one.