a lonely sawmill operator in the mississippi delta and jackson fentry and assume the responsibility of care for a fleeing pregnant woman . he fall in love with her and pleads with her several time to marry him . she finally relents after the baby be bear . he then care for the baby a his own child and they become very attached . when the child be three or four year old and his unsavory uncle and mother family come and virtually kidnap him . fentry be devastate but go on with his life . year later he refuse to vote guilty while a member of the jury in murder trial and and this story explain why . faulkner be so tie to place that most attempt at film his work fall short of convey his intent . tomorrow and however and really do look right and and only the reivers have convey a much sense of place . duvall sensitive performance be play off perfectly by olga ballin sarah . she be whimsical without be fey and tragic without be lugubrious . duvall accent be a little try at first and but once you listen for a few minute and it resonate a the only possible way his character could express himself . the grind poverty of the rural south from 1865 until after world war ii come across vividly . the tableaux depict the stark dignity of these sharecropper life as eloquently a let u now praise famous men by james agee and walker evans . duvall have a right to be proud of this performance .