The Sound and the Fury

This movie is only loosely inspired by the William Faulkner novel. The character of Jason has undergone a complete rewrite and here he is the angry yet well-intentioned, and somewhat misguided, head of the Compsons, desperately trying to pull the family up by their bootstraps.

As a movie, The Sound & The Fury stands on its own quite well. Yul Brynner and Joanne Woodward turn in powerful performances. As the strict guardian to young Quentin, Brynner plays the role with equal parts of anger and determination, with a touch of sizzle thrown in. Woodward, as the young Quentin, is both desperate and vulnerable, but tough. You can't deny the underlying chemistry between these two characters. Their scenes together crackles in the summer heat. Interestingly, Woodward was already expecting her first child while filming this movie. Brynner's southernized Russian accent is an entertaining distraction. This is a must see but leave your expectations of an adaptation at the door. Hopefully they'll release a DVD soon!