The Sound and the Fury (2014 film)

Plot

The film focuses on the Compson Family, and their struggles to adjust to the changing society of the 20th century Deep South, told from four different perspectives: the mentally handicapped Benjy Compson, the fragile intellectual Quentin, the vile Jason and his family's old black servant, Dilsey.

Cast

Production

In January 2014, it was reported Keegan Allen, Tim Blake Nelson, Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Loretta DeVine, and Janet Gretzky had joined the cast of the film.

Casting discrepancy

In an early interview with Franco in 2013, the director suggested he wanted Jon Hamm in the role of Mr. Compson. Hamm's schedule was too tight and the role ultimately went to Tim Blake Nelson, but in spite of this the story that Hamm was in the movie persisted. Even as late as the film's screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival some playbills still made this claim, and the posters had to be reprinted before opening.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2014. It was also selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2014. The film was scheduled to be released in a limited release and through video on demand on October 23, 2015.

Reception

The film received mostly negative reviews from film critics, with many feeling that Franco was incapable of presenting such a complex novel in a cinematic fashion. Paul McInnis of The Guardian, writing from Toronto, said, 'Franco attempts to recreate the book's impressionistic style and complex structure. He makes a fist of it, but in concentrating so much on the art he fails to give the viewer any story or characters to care about.' Andrew Barker of Variety, however, felt that the film was, '...a folly, failing to capture the weird, entrancing, often maddening ambiance of the great writer’s elliptical masterpiece, and its surfeit of half-baked film-student flourishes and needless cameos occasionally give it an amateur-hour feel. But Franco nonetheless shows improvement over 2013’s As I Lay Dying, and well, it’s hard to fault him for trying. '

Currently, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 'rotten' rating of 25%.