(c) Photofest / Getty Images
“Two Mules for Sister Sara” Clint Eastwood x Shirley MacLaine, Western x Romantic Comedy *Note! Contains spoilers.
2023.02.15
Two mules for Sister Sarah
Director Don Siegel and Shirley MacLaine never had a friendly relationship on the set. They would sometimes fight openly in front of everyone. Shirley MacLaine couldn't stand the fact that her false eyelashes were too exaggerated, and she was also frustrated that the dailies (rushes made immediately after shooting) couldn't be checked right away because the film was shot in Mexico and sent to California. Meanwhile, Don Siegel made harsh comments, saying, "I don't find her warm. She's not feminine and she's too brave. She's very, very strict" (*). It seems they didn't get along.
And the relationship between Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine was also not friendly. Although she rarely talks about Eastwood in her memoirs or interviews (which may actually prove the bad relationship), she did make the following comment at the TCM Film Festival:
"I remember when we were shooting Two Mules for Sister Sara his horse broke down. That's when I knew he was a true Republican. He got off his horse, looked at it and put his socks on."
"Two Mules for Sister Sara" (c) Photofest / Getty Images
Is this an irony that Republicans = macho cowboys care more about horses than women? At this point, she also says, "I respect him," but it's a statement that is hard to take at face value. But the two characters in the movie are so amazing that they blow away that reality. Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine have completely different principles and beliefs, but their conversation is humorous and they are drawn to each other for that very reason. My favorite scene is the one where they try to blow up a railroad bridge. Eastwood is drunk and can't even aim properly.
"Can you shoot?"
"I can't shoot. It's a waste of time climbing onto the bridge!"
"Calm down. The alcohol will sober up soon. Get me some coffee."
"This is better than coffee!"
Shirley MacLaine clenches her fists and punches Eastwood. Then she grabs him by the collar and screams, "Wake up, you good-for-nothing!" This performance could easily have become hysterical, but she plays it with her natural cuteness and charm. She even draws the manly genre of the Spaghetti Western into her magnetic field.
The original title of "Two Mules for Sister Sara" is "Two Mules for Sister Sara." In the film, the line "You're as stubborn as a mule" appears. To me, the title seems like a tribute to Shirley MacLaine, who plays the two mules (stubborn people) Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood and gallops lightly across the screen.
Text: Rui Takeshima
A pop culture writer who wants to be kicked by Hit Girl. Host of the web magazine "POP MASTER".
(c) Photofest / Getty Images
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