Essentially, this is a depressing drama. No surprise, since it is based on a novel by William Faulkner. Filming it in black-and-white was appropriate, because it comes off as a low-class, dingy story. However, the performances by the four main actors are very good. It is interesting that Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone also starred together in the movie Written on the Wind, in 1956, which was a better movie, but with very similar character-types. Another item to note is a small bit part played by Troy Donahue, soon to be a major star in his own right. It's the only time I recall seeing Jack Carson playing a dramatic part, although he still had some sarcastic lines that were apparently supposed to inject a bit of humor - inappropriate in this movie. I probably won't watch this film again very soon, because it's not my idea of entertainment.