when i first saw this film on cable and it instantly become one of my favorite movie . i be a big fan of james earl jones and robert duvall . the movie paint an accurate picture of the south and the racist attitude . most of the attitude come from soll and an old plantation owner who use convict for labor . soll be what make the move and his funny ramblings give u insight in to the way the south be back then . i suppose that if soll live today he would be diagnose with alzheimer disease . none the less his attitude towards a little boy who come to work for him and the convict be complex . while he have racist view and he grow to trust some of the convict who be all black . the two convict he trust most be jackson ( mel winkler ) and ben ( james earl jones ) . the conversation between ben and soll be the best in the movie and they have real chemistry . james earl jones and mel winkler both but in great performance as well a hass . this movie should have get more notoriety . however it on dvd and worth the money . rayvyn .