Review: 'Two Mules for Sister Sara' Rides High Again With a New Blu-ray from Kino Lorber

Clint Eastwood was riding high after starring in Sergio's Man with No Name Trilogy, and "Two Mules for Sister Sara" was one of his early-70s roles that capitalized on that image. The script was originally written by Budd Boetticher to be a vehicle for Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr, but it was rewritten by Albert Maltx to be a bit seedier and yes, much more violent. Don Siegel directs the film with his usual knack for making violence as enthralling as possible, which makes a good match with Eastwood, as the western star was no stranger to heightened action in his roles. While the story is much less than the sum of its parts, the back-and-forth between Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine more than makes up for the dead air between set pieces.

Kino Lorber and their Studio Classics label brings "Two Mules for Sister Sara" to Blu-ray with new 4K restorations of the original 105-minute U.S. and 114-minute international cuts. Both cuts look terrific from the restorations and Kino Lorber has maxed out the bitrate on both discs included, so this is most likely the best the film has ever looked at home. While there's not a ton in the way of special features, we do get a new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, who has more than enough to say about the western genre and where this film belongs in the western canon.

A lone drifter by the name of Hogan (Eastwood) is on the run in Mexico and ends up saving a local nun named Sara (MacLaine). The duo trades some verbal jabs and then amble into the next town, where they meet a group of Mexican revolutionaries bent on resisting the French occupation of Mexico and end up joining them. The goal: capture the enemy's garrison. But naturally, Hogan and Sara develop feelings for each other that become further complicated by Sara's personal secret.

This is an interesting transition for Eastwood, as his talents were constantly trying to be forced into westerns and action films after working with Sergio Leone. But here, you can see him struggling to bring the comedic levity that the script offers. It's an odd thing to watch, but he clearly grows as a performer with each scene. MacLaine was already a master of comedic performances at the time, and it's really funny to watch her exuberant personality bounce right off of the emotional brick wall that Eastwood's Hogan puts up.

This is neither a romantic action comedy or western, rather a mixture of both that doesn't meld quite right. Yet, it's still pretty good given Siegel's assured direction and a cast of colorful characters. If you're a fan of Clint, I'd recommend picking this up.

Special features include:

� "At Home with Clint" -- Vintage Candid Interview with Clint Eastwood
� Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
� Poster and Image Gallery
� Reversible Art
� Theatrical Trailer (New HD Transfer)
� 2 TV Spots
� 4 Radio Spots
� Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
� Optional English Subtitles

"Two Mules for Sister Sara" is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.