Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray Movie Review

The odd couple.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 4, 2014

In their second collaboration during a fruitful creative run throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, star Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel elected to return to old business with 1970’s “Two Mules for Sister Sara.” Inspired by Eastwood’s work with filmmaker Sergio Leone and the global success of their “Dollars” trilogy, the production mounted a vague homage to the Man with No Name, only here he had a name, and plenty of dialogue. Saddling up with a score from Ennio Morricone and gorgeous Mexican locations, “Two Mules for Sister Sara” is a solid return to icy Eastwoodian action, this time pairing the iconic figure with Shirley MacLaine, a noted intimidator in her own right. Against all odds, the stars share spunky, charged chemistry, making this heat-stroked trip across the open desert highly entertaining, observing a pair of mismatched travelers as they unite to achieve a common goal. Plenty of drinking, flirtations, and short tempers are shared, and while the movie doesn’t offer an overwhelming sense of conflict, sly personalities and chewy western traditions are big enough to capture attention.

During the French intervention in Mexico, non-nonsense mercenary Hogan (Clint Eastwood) is crossing the land on a mission, living a contained life with two horses and a steady flow of alcohol. Coming across a pack of outlaws attempting to sexually assault Sara (Shirley MacLaine), Hogan breaks up the horror show, discovering that the rattled young woman is actually a nun on her way to assist a group of Mexican revolutionaries as they combat French forces. Already working with the locals, Hogan agrees to help Sara out by escorting her to a Mexican camp. Along the way, Hogan suspects there’s more to Sara than she’s letting on, with her cool, forgiving Catholic demeanor punctured with strange behaviors and salty language. As the twosome makes their way across an unforgiving terrain, they run across enemy forces, rattlesnakes, and indigenous warriors, growing to depend on each other as the elements, travel companions, and arrow wounds disrupt their original plan.

The screenplay by Albert Maltz depends on a secret carried by Sara, a hidden agenda that’s not to be revealed until the third act, adding a small offering of surprise to an otherwise straightforward endeavor. However, casting the rascally MacLaine in the role of the demure, pious nun is a bit of a reveal that the character isn’t as innocent as she seems. The miracle of the movie is how that information is noticeable, but never communicated in a hurry, allowing the viewer the fun of watching Sara break character by gulping down booze, using profanity, and showing a commendable amount of comfort when Hogan has to place his hand on her derriere during a boost into a tree. The feature enjoys teasing little breaches in decorum, quickly brushed away by Sara, who wields a large silver crucifix, often as a defensive weapon, to ward away sin and suspicious types who would like a closer look. The sustained display of her curious behavior is portioned out superbly, remaining a few steps ahead of the audience, but close enough to share some much needed mischief.

The mercenary and the nun. It sounds like a sitcom pairing, and in many ways, Siegel leans into the obvious by keeping Eastwood’s performance one of constant surprise, with Hogan repeatedly stunned by Sara uneasy balance between devout and corrupt. Thankfully, “Two Mules for Sister Sara” isn’t strictly a comedy, keeping to its genre roots as an extended mission of survival. For Hogan, there’s a reward waiting for him as he works to disrupt French forces, while Sara labors in a more covert manner. Their adventures in Mexico are varied, the screenplay maintaining a steady pace of incident that includes Sara’s reunion with an all-too-knowing French colonel on his deathbed and Hogan’s pincushion appeal as he’s struck by a Yaqui arrow, messing with the precise timing of their plan to blow up a train trestle to prevent additional armament from reaching the enemy. The arrow incident is one of the best scenes of the movie, watching an increasingly drunk Hogan try to guide a squeamish Sara through the process of removal and wound cauterization. The bloody special effect and the editorial timing of the sequence is a treat. More askew adventuring arrives with the trestle plan, with Hogan still inebriated enough to send Sara into duty. Facing her fear of heights and general frustration with her escort’s inability to shoot straight, Sara positions a pack of dynamite herself, while a speeding train provides the sequence with a sufficient ticking clock.

While “Two Mules for Sister Sara” has a mission for the lead characters and plenty of roadblocks along their path, the spirit of the film remains with the performances, watching Eastwood and MacLaine mix it up with a great deal of success. It’s an unusually flirty role from the squinty icon, displaying needed relaxation as Hogan, who’s a hardened man after years on the open trail, but also red-blooded enough to spot the physical appeal of Sara buried beneath her habit. It’s cheery work that’s highly amusing, while still remaining Eastwoodian enough through scenes of gunfighting and intimidation. MacLaine matches him well, building a presence under layers of clothes (I can’t imagine the torture of wearing such heavy fabric in the Mexican sun) that invites interest in Sara’s ultimate fate. She’s commanding and humorous, crafting a balanced dynamic that keeps the feature fresh and appealing.

Also of note is Morricone’s score, which could be described as “flute meets electric donkey,” with the legendary composer mixing sounds and symphonic flight to backdrop the story, always elevating the cinematic allure of “Two Mules for Sister Sara” with this return to Leone-esque genre antics.

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

The VC-1 encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation has been washed over with some noticeable filtering, though it's not severe, rubbing away a portion of the grain, producing some haloing. Fine detail remains accessible, with a healthy read of facial particulars (beads of sweat are pronounced) and fibrous textures. Colors are alert and stable, displaying welcome blues for the wide open skies, lively greenery, and deep reds for Sara's climatic outfit. Blacks are responsive, with only a minor sense of crush with evening sequences, while other distances are preserved to satisfaction. Print is in good shape, without any severe damage, showing some speckling.

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

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't quite a crisply defined as hoped, with some of the sound effects losing placement in the track, not emphasized as powerfully as imagined. The basics are covered adequately, with clear dialogue exchanges (lots of ADR on this film), allowing performances room to breathe, while Morricone's music keeps an insistent presence in the mix, smoothly articulated and supportive. Atmospherics are blunt but acceptable, communicating the setting as intended. Shrill highs and muddy lows aren't a problem here, and no hiss was detected.

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

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:24, SD) is included.

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

"Two Mules for Sister Sara" concludes with a bang, following Hogan and Sara as they meet up with the revolutionaries to plan an invasion, trying to cripple a French fort. The sequence features graphic violence (highlighting chopped limps and ample gunfire), buttoning the picture with an uncomfortable sense of chaos while the rest of the effort is content with character development. It's a weird change of direction, but it plays up a big showdown climax, permitting Eastwood to spring into action, shooting baddies and flinging sticks of dynamite. It's certainly distracting, but the finest moments of "Two Mules for Sister Sara" remain with intimacy between the leads, watching them develop attraction and trust as they endure setbacks and impatience. The chemistry is there, which makes for a more powerful cinematic weapon than the last-act war zone.