Adapted from a William Faulkner book that utilized multiple, "stream of consciousness" narrators, 20th Century Fox and producer Jerry Wald's 1958 filming of THE SOUND AND THE FURY was dismissed by certain critics upon its original release. Since then, viewers have had little chance to reassess (or, simply, assess) this reunion between the creative team of "The Long Hot Summer" (Wald, screenwriters Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr., and director Martin Ritt).Never commercially released on video and only infrequently shown on cable (often times in terrible pan-and-scan transfers at that), THE SOUND AND THE FURY is one of the neglected gems of the late `50s, and Twilight Time's Blu-Ray release of the film limited to 3000 copies is spectacular, preserving the film's potent Cinemascope cinematography and effective performances.
Once again focusing on Faulkner's fascination with the decaying fortunes of a once-proud Southern family, the Ravetch-Frank-Ritt version of "The Sound and the Fury" follows the lives of the Compson clan through the prism of Quentin (Joanne Woodward), a rebellious young girl who skips school and teeters on turning out just like her floozy Mama Caddy (Margaret Leighton), who left Quentin and their Mississippi home shortly after her birth. Raised by pragmatic, gruff step-uncle Jason (Yul Brynner), Quentin is surrounded by a family that's faded from their glory days, with uncles either alcoholic (John Beal) or mute and autistic (Jack Warden), and an African-American servant (Ethel Waters) single-handedly holding what's left of the ancestral home together. Quentin's turbulent adolescence and unhealthy home life is compounded by her attraction to a hunk (Stuart Whitman) working at a carnival passing through town, as well as the return of her destitute mother, just looking for somewhere to live.
Though shot on the Fox backlot, "The Sound and the Fury" is rich with atmosphere. Credit goes out to Ritt and cinematographer Charles G. Clarke for establishing a sense of rural time and place without having to leave southern California; the Ravetch-Frank screenplay (their second of three Faulkner adaptations with "The Reivers" to follow over a decade later), meanwhile, enables the cast to give a variety of strong performances. Woodward is beguiling here, mixing the playful innocence of a teenage girl with the blossoming qualities of a young woman that develop as the film progresses; she meets her equal in Brynner's hardened Jason, whose tough demeanor masks a sympathetic interior that just wants Quentin, ultimately, to stand on her own and be something more than the rest of her family. Their relationship is the cornerstone of the picture, and while the picture was derailed by many for failing to adhere to Faulkner's book, the film itself is a strong piece of work on its own terms thanks to the fascinating evolution of their relationship. They're supported by top work in front of and behind the camera: Leighton turns in a fine performance as the lost Mama, Warden delivers one of his strongest dramatic roles as the troubled Benji, and Alex North's soaring score jazz infused but marked by one of his sweetest love themes is, for my money, one of his finest. His underscoring for the movie's sublime finale is just glorious, beautifully shot by Ritt and perfectly delivered by Woodward and Brynner ending a turbulent slice of Faulkner melodrama on a thoroughly romantic and even optimistic note.
The 1080p AVC encoded Blu-Ray transfer from the Fox vaults is terrific: fine detail is in evidence throughout without any trace of processing. The print shows occasional wear and tear but displays no major issues; for a movie that's never been treated as well as it should've been, "The Sound and the Fury" ranks as one of the Fox highlights in the Twilight Time catalog so far, both for its technical presentation as well as the content of the movie itself. On the audio side, the movie's original stereo soundtrack has been mixed in 2.0 DTS MA with an isolated score track, prepared as always by Mike Matessino, rounding out the release. Highly recommended!
If you read Faulkner's novel, not a particularly easy read, you learn about the twisted dynamics of the Compson family, albeit this film is a very loose adaptation, with the illegitimate daughter, the runaway mother, the idiot brother, the alcoholic brother, and the hard-working step-brother, Jason, trying to keep the family together. Wald cleaned up the murky waters by making Jason respectable, but he does imply there's a sexual attraction between Jason and his much, much younger step-niece, Quentin. It's not incest exactly, but it sure feels like incest.
Yul Brynner, with hair, plays Jason with his usual penetrating stares, catlike grace, regal strides, and uber-testosterone persona. What was that guy's secret? I mean, no one could fail to notice or respond to his utterly MALE presence whenever he came on screen. And yet, the man could act. There is a scene in the ice cream parlor between Jason and Quentin where the normally strict and gruff Jason lets his guard down just a little and we're treated to the briefest glimpse of his true feelings for Quentin. It's thrilling and un-nerving at the same time. The viewer sees that underneath Jason's tyrannical exterior is a man with a heart. That Quentin is the object of his affection is a stunning revelation.
Joanne Woodward plays Quentin as a whiney, slouching, dowdy teenager with a hormonal surge. She doesn't look like a high school student by any stretch of the imagination. Frankly, I've never understood Woodward's appeal. She's as plain as a pie plate and there something funny with the center of her upper lip.
Margaret Leighton is the prodigal mother, an alley cat with airs of a long-gone gentility, whose promiscuous predilection may have been genetically transmitted to her precocious illegitimate daughter, Quentin....or else it's the heat making everyone twitchy.
This movie has a great on-screen kiss. The sets are fantastic. The soundtrack features raucous 50's jazz as well as a pleasant lyrical love theme. Other than that, I'm hard-pressed to say what makes me like this movie, and yet I do. I DO like it, probably because it represents an era in movies and literature ala Faulkner or Tennessee Williams where the theme of Southern decline and decadence involved something other than vampires.Another great Twilight Time blu-ray.... Martin Ritt does a fantastic job directing this great widescreen masterpiece with a cool jazzified score that really makes this something special.... Many complain that this film is not like the book, but who cares? This is a great film based on the book and nothing more.... The video looks fantastic and the sound is excellent....and, since the story takes place in the South, one of the characters has a mental problem....great stuff....I saw it when I was a child with my mom and sister's . It was GREAT seeing it again !! A lot of good memories !! Beautiful in blue ray !
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