Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 22, 2020

Don Siegel's "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include archival interview with Clint Eastwood; new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I tend to agree with the popular opinion that Two Mules for Sister Sara was Don Siegel’s attempt to copy the blueprint that made the spaghetti westerns successful. It blends period action and comedy in a very familiar fashion, and then adds the political overtones these films utilized to produce some of their most memorable contrasts. But the end result is different. There is a new dynamic between the camera and the main characters, plus the exotic flavor is a lot more restrained.

Somewhere in the desert, Hogan (Clint Eastwood), a lone mercenary, saves nun Sara (Shirley MacLaine) from a couple of drunken bandits. When later on he reveals to her that he is planning to get rich by helping a group of Mexican revolutionaries take over a giant French fort, nun Sara decides to join him. As the two travel to a secret place where the revolutionaries have gathered, however, nun Sara’s enthusiasm for the mission and ability to handle arms gradually force Hogan to begin speculating that she may not be a woman of the cloth.

The original screenplay for Two Mules for Sister Sara came from Budd Boetticher and this may actually be the bigger reason why the production does not have a classic spaghetti western identity. Indeed, at the heart of the narrative is a gradually evolving relationship that requires both Eastwood and MacLaine to reveal very different sides of their characters, with their incompatibility eventually initiating the crucial romance. The manner in which the connection between the two is established, however, also produces an uncharacteristic intellectual rivalry, which is what works against the western identity. For example, in the first half, the mercenary is seen as a man who trusts his survival instincts to stay out of trouble, and he leads with confidence that makes him appear entirely legit in his environment. But then the screenplay slowly but surely begins to erode his image so that the nun’s inevitable transformation appears authentic, and this planned ‘softening’ just does not happen in a way a traditional spaghetti western would have embraced.

Siegel’s direction is of course complimentary of the ‘softening’, but even if it wasn’t the film would not have looked much different. The comedy and romance actually do much more to establish the identity of the film than the exact ways in which the action is captured by the camera. (For reference, in A Fistful of Dynamite, which Sergio Leone directed a year later, exactly the opposite occurs. The superbly staged and shot action is what allows everything else in the film to come together as it should, and in the process defines its identity). In other words, the film is only as good as the quality of its comedy and romance.

And how effective are the comedy and romance? It depends on whether you see them as organic elements of the relationship between the mercenary and the nun, or scripted enhancements that hurt its authenticity. Some of the mercenary’s early jabs work fine, especially when he questions the nun’s own rules, but later in the film there is just too much overacting of the kind that makes a lot of situations look a bit too cute.

The original soundtrack was created by Ennio Morricone. It is widely considered one of the Italian maestro’s very best.

*Kino Lorber’s release features two versions of the film that were fully restored in 4K: International Version, which is approximately 114 minutes long, and Domestic Cut, which is approximately 105 minutes long.

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Two Mules for Sister Sara arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Video.

The release features two versions of the film which have been restored in 4K. I viewed the longer International Version, which is actually the only one that I have seen in the past.

There is only one aspect of the new restoration that troubles me a bit: the color grading. Indeed, even though the primaries and supporting nuances look very similar to those of the previous release, I remain unconvinced that they are in fact entirely correct. There are a lot of soft yellowish hues that suppress most blue nuances in ways that frequently appear unnatural. In some areas blacks also become quite thick, causing crushing, though I should say that most of it is also exacerbated by the condition of the element that was used to prepare the new master (examples can be seen in sceencaptures #26 and 30). The rest looks really, really good. Delineation and depth range from very good to excellent. Density levels are solid as well. As you can see now, the new master is free of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. Finally, I did not see any distracting large debris, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

There are no technical anomalies to report in our review. Ennio Morricone's soundtrack breathes quite easily throughout the film, but in terms of dynamic intensity, there is hardly any material that could make an impression. Perhaps the attack of the fort at the end of the film could excite some viewers, but overall dynamic intensity is modest. The dialog is clean and easy to follow.

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE: INTERNATIONAL CUT

• Poster and Image Gallery - a couple of vintage promotional and production materials for Two Mules for Sister Sara. (5 min).

• At Home with Clint - presented here is a vintage video interview with Clint Eastwood. The bulk of the information is about the "real" Clint. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox.

DISC TWO: DOMESTIC CUT

• Radio Spots - a couple of vintage radio spots for Two Mules for Sister Sara. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• TV Spots - a couple of vintage TV spots for Two Mules for Sister Sara. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Two Mules for Sister Sara. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to place Don Siegel's Two Mules for Sister Sara amongst Clint Eastwood's great westerns because it feels a bit like an experiment that did not quite turn out as it should. Budd Boetticher's screenplay introduces character arcs that I think make it awfully difficult for the two leads to connect the right way, and once you realize that their characters are expected to do very specific things to make each other appear legit, the comedy and romance become a tad too sweet. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration, which currently offers the best presentation of the film. RECOMMENDED.