Tomorrow (1972)

Truly the worst movie I've ever seen in a theater

Powerful

Nice effects though.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

This is a very fine William Faulkner adaptation set in circa 1910 rural Mississippi. Duvall fans, like me, should be thrilled to see and hear his masterful piece of humble and unpretentious acting. I must say there is a level of disappointment in reading the few negative or cursory reviews. I think one of the most overlooked elements in this film is the outstanding acting by Olga Bellin (Sarah). Frequent commentary of being cast too old is unfounded. Women in rural environments of this depicted era were a little worn around the edges. Sarah is actually quite beautiful in close ups, and she dispels any age related bias in the subtleties of her great acting. Where Duvall is masterful in delivering rural and colloquial dialog, Bellin equals the performance with outstanding facial expressions and body language. It is like having a window to her heart and mind. Together, they compelled me to care about them. In some ways, a nice motif on opposites attract. As for the purported, slow pace of this movie, I might just say life in the woods of Mississippi for 103 minutes did not seem too deliberate for me. This film is a very good and focused character study on love and loyalty. The monochromatic cinematography is appropriate and adequate. The on location, props and screen captures are great. Cinophiles should appreciate it. Despite some critics perceived B-movie imagery at times, this film has 4-star acting and a meaningful story.

I saw this film for the first time over a week ago and can't get it out of my mind. I was not familiar with the story nor had I ever seen Robert Duvall in such an powerful but understated performance. At first I wondered if I would like the movie but soon found I could not take my eyes off the screen. It was like being transported back in time to a place I've never been, and was watching this story unfold as if it was actually happening right in front of me. Robert Duvall was amazing, absolutely stunning. The story says so much about love and how important it is for all of us. Watch this movie...it is riveting and such a great story!

Based on a William Faulkner story, this movie has the dark, gloomy, but realistic look of his work. The art direction, lighting, and costume design shows that this is a low-budget film, but it doesn't make it corny. In fact, this adds much to the authenticity of what the South was like in the late 1800s. In addition, the film is in black and white; this helps make the depressive mood of the story.Like much of Faulkner's writing, the film is done in flashback form. It opens with a murder of a young man and the trial of the man who committed the killing. It then goes back twenty years earlier to a poor, Southern farmer, Jackson Fentry.Robert Duvall is simply wonderful as Fentry, a man who is cut off from most of the world. His character is lonely but yet a naive and caring individual as he finds an ill pregnant woman (Olga Bellin) while working on a farm as a caretaker. He takes her in and cares for her. Everything seems normal for awhile, but then two tragedies happen they lead up to the present opening of the film. Everything is tied in together nicely, making a great, yet sad ending. It brings up the questions: Which is better for a child? Heredity or environment? This sounds like an excellent film that I would give a 10/10. But what made me give it a 7 was the pace. The movie was incredibly slow. This is no action, and I knew it wasn't one, but the dry, drawling, Southern monotones that the actor's spoke made it boring.

It's always interesting to see a movie from a play. This one made me wonder how the intimate, brooding mood of extended silences reached across the stage into the audience, but it certainly works on film. The Netflix blurb prepared me for a depressing experience, but I came away with a sense that I had spent a few years in a world that is thousands of miles and hundreds of years from my own. The characters have a limited range of expression, but what they feel and say is consistent and almost meditative. Yes, there is tragedy, but the gift of a film that opens a window on deep experience is that you are uplifted rather than let down. A nice little movie that makes me so grateful for DVDs.