Drama focusing on a family of Southern aristocrats who are trying to deal with the dissolution of their clan and the loss of its reputation, faith, fortunes, and respect.Drama focusing on a family of Southern aristocrats who are trying to deal with the dissolution of their clan and the loss of its reputation, faith, fortunes, and respect.Drama focusing on a family of Southern aristocrats who are trying to deal with the dissolution of their clan and the loss of its reputation, faith, fortunes, and respect.
Steven Perry
- Luster
- (as Stephen Perry)
Bill Gunn
- T.P. - Dilsey's Grandson
- (as William Gunn)
Jean Carson
- Mary Ellen
- (uncredited)
William Challee
- Roustabout
- (uncredited)
Esther Dale
- Mrs. Maud Mansfield
- (uncredited)
Walt Davis
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Gary Diamond
- Boy
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEthel Waters' final film.
- GoofsWhen Caddie and Quentin are talking in Caddie's bedroom, the shadow of the boom mic is visible in the mirror above the dressing table.
- Quotes
Quentin Compson: I just happen to be an eccentric.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Family Ties: The Homecoming (1983)
- SoundtracksKingdom Coming
(uncredited)
aka "The Year of Jubilo"
Music by Henry Clay Work
Played by the marching band
Featured review
Southern classic
My all-time favorite Southern movie! Highly underrated! I saw this film one summer afternoon as a teenager and spent the next several years searching for it in the local TV guide to no avail--nor was it available on video (still isn't!). Despite the PBS host who referred to it as "more sound than fury," I was knocked for a loop by the whole atmosphere created in this movie, which is very loosely based on the William Faulkner novel and the Compson characters in general. A couple years ago the True Stories movie channel (?) played it and I grabbed it on tape! My only complaint is that it is a Cinemascope feature and should be played in letterbox format to display the fine '50s-style clear-as-crystal cinematography to its maximum advantage. This is a movie that clocks you over the head with the soundtrack immediately, and the music defines the settings and characters throughout. Bear in mind that this is NOT a slavish interpretation of the mind-ripping book (not even close) nor could it be given its original release date! However, some of the characters are well-represented and even a few lines spoken word-for-word, and the production does an excellent job of capturing the heated Southern intensity of the original story. Joanne Woodward plays young Quentin Compson and the movie revolves around her teenage compulsion to connect with her mother (tall Margaret Leighton wonderfully cast as the wornout, dragged-down Caddy returning home after seventeen years' absence) and escape her cold, sarcastic, pitiless uncle, the "keeper," to a life she imagines will be flavored with love and freedom. Yul Brynner, cast as Jason Compson (not the book version--that guy was nearly insane), is perfect in the role of Quentin's enemy uncle. He captures the character's seething anger, always on the verge of rising to the surface and exploding. At the same time he is a person with a powerful sense of responsibility, and it is truly enjoyable to watch him struggle to keep his highly dysfunctional family in some semblance of order. A few familiar faces from the book include Dilsey (Ethel Waters in a superior performance), strong, softhearted and stressed by the Compson downfall, and little Luster, always put to taking care of huge half-witted Benjy (Jack Warden, who works to capture a very intense and disturbed personality behind a blank expression). Quentin's other uncle, Howard, keeps his father's drinking tradition alive as well as the eternal unhealthy fascination of the Compson boys for sister Caddy; Jason's Cajun mother just stays in bed most of the day, longsuffering and tiresome to all. I love the way this movie features vignettes of the individual lives these people lead, and the way they intersect without ever fully connecting. Anger, passion, frailty, loyalty--all against this wonderful backdrop of decrepit mansions and closeminded small-town malice. I refuse to complain about the way it strays from the novel because as a movie it stands on its own, a separate work, and tremendously enjoyable. Recommended!
helpful•4516
- sam66
- Aug 27, 2001
- How long is The Sound and the Fury?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,710,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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By what name was The Sound and the Fury (1959) officially released in India in English?
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