Its rhetoric may be laconic and folksy, but its fury and its nobility seem distilled from Shakespeare.

A rich family drama anchored by Robert Mitchum's fine performance and further distinguished by superlative support, by George (two of them, actually).

Although it is too long and there are some perplexing gaps and ambiguities in the story, this is an interesting and richly atmospheric rural drama with a Deep South locale.

Minnelli milks every last drop of sentiment from the not-at-all distinguished script. And many drops that aren't there.