A Review of “The Sound and the Fury”: Franco’s Faulkner Adaptation
This review is adapted from an article originally published on The Hollywood Reporter.
Two years after his initial foray into Faulkner territory, James Franco returns as director and star in another adaptation of the celebrated author’s work, this time collaborating with Tim Blake Nelson and Scott Haze.
A Respectful but Uneven Adaptation
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, “The Sound and the Fury” tackles one of American literature’s most notoriously complex and challenging novels. James Franco’s adaptation clearly demonstrates a deep respect for William Faulkner’s ambitious work. However, Franco’s grasp of the novel’s core – the decline of the Southern Compson family – doesn’t quite reach the same level of impact as the split-screen techniques he employed in “As I Lay Dying,” which premiered at Cannes the previous year. Given the struggles of the latter to find an audience beyond video on demand, “The Sound and the Fury” is likely facing an uphill battle at the box office.
This marks the second cinematic adaptation of Faulkner’s masterpiece, following Martin Ritt’s 1959 version starring Yul Brynner and Joanne Woodward. In his version, Franco manages, at least in the first section, to convey the dense language and challenging stream-of-consciousness style of Faulkner’s original text through visual and auditory means. Nevertheless, it must be said that this adaptation is not as successful as its predecessor.
Exploring the Compson Family
After a brief introduction, “The Sound and the Fury” plunges into its first section, focusing on Benjy. Benjy, the youngest of the once-prominent Compson family, is developmentally disabled, remaining “three years old for thirty years,” as described by one of the Compson’s servants’ children. Benjy’s greatest love is for his sister Caddy (Ahna O’Reilly), who “smells like trees.”
The film is structured into three parts (condensing Faulkner’s original four), interweaving childhood memories from the late 19th century with the “present” of Benjy’s 33rd birthday in the 1920s. To aid audience comprehension, Franco and screenwriter Matt Rager (who also worked on “As I Lay Dying”) employ Proustian-like symbols to connect past and present scenes. For instance, Benjy’s habit of hanging his clothes on a fence post or his recurring image of holding a flower triggers memories of the past.
To provide some insight into Benjy’s inarticulate character, the film includes childlike voiceovers. Rather than replicating the rambling prose and memories of the original text, these voiceovers focus on repeating core ideas, attempting to convey what might be going through the mind of an emotionally rich child. The theme of death is also introduced, with Benjy initially confused by the concept, simply asking why his grandmother “won’t wake up.” Here, Franco utilizes somewhat disjointed shots, often employing a loose, handheld style, to suggest that Benjy’s needs are not being met by his family, particularly his sister Caddy. Franco’s portrayal of Benjy leans heavily into his physical awkwardness, almost to the point of caricature, making the character appear more simple-minded than intellectually disabled (in Faulkner’s novel, Benjy possesses a keen sense of who is good and bad and is often the most sensitive member of the family, a nuance missing from the film).
Quentin’s Torment and Jason’s Resentment
The second section, arguably the most coherent and faithful to the source material, centers on Quentin (Jacob Loeb), the eldest Compson child. Quentin is studying at Harvard, burdened by his father’s (Tim Blake Nelson) eccentric philosophies. His father once told him that “Jesus was crucified because he heard the tick-tock of the gears,” leading to Quentin’s obsession with watches, time, and death. Like Benjy, Quentin loves his sister Caddy, but he is more concerned with her reputation. Therefore, when Caddy becomes pregnant out of wedlock, Quentin feels betrayed. Loeb delivers a strong performance, capturing the character’s fragility and effectively conveying Quentin’s peculiar ideas and his morbid love for his sister. A confrontation between Quentin and the father of Caddy’s child on a wooden bridge is particularly striking, highlighting the actors’ psychological turmoil. Undoubtedly, this section best captures Faulkner’s complex web of information through the actors’ straightforward performances.
The most problematic and lengthiest section, clocking in at 40 minutes, is the third part, which focuses on Jason (Scott Haze). Jason is a bitter and resentful character. After Caddy is banished from the Compson household for her pregnancy, her daughter remains, and Jason directs his hatred towards Caddy’s daughter, also named Quentin (Joey King). This section is the most straightforward in terms of narrative. Following the death of the family patriarch, Jason becomes the head of the household. He rules with an iron fist, even stealing the money Caddy sends for her daughter’s support. However, Haze’s portrayal of Jason lacks the forcefulness needed to embody this quintessential Southern character. Supporting roles, including Danny McBride as the sheriff and Seth Rogen as a telegraph operator, feel somewhat underwhelming. Furthermore, the inclusion of elements from the novel’s fourth section dilutes the focus on Jason, as some of the added storylines are unrelated to him, including a scene in a black church, the only instance of religious elements in the entire film.
A Family’s Decline, but a Missed Opportunity
Overall, the film effectively portrays the decline of a wealthy family on both material and spiritual levels, but the three sections don’t quite coalesce into a cohesive whole. Caddy, for instance, is entirely neglected as an independent entity. Whether ghosts haunt the characters or some force reunites their thoughts, desires, and hardships remains too ambiguous in the film.
Franco’s decision to reunite much of the cast and crew from “As I Lay Dying” creates a sense of continuity between the two films. Both employ a similar color palette of greens and earth tones, a loose shooting style, and a non-ostentatious musical score by Tim O’Keefe, which accurately captures the emotional tone.