The search for the proverbial “great American novel” has been ongoing for decades, with so many different contenders being suggested as the best representation of the nation’s values and history, collectively accumulated into one sprawling, cultural odyssey that best encapsulates the experience of being American. The search often looks more at specific authors than their novels, since it’s sometimes easier to view one’s perspective when considering their entire body of work. William Faulkner is one writer whose collected works are often considered among the greatest in American history, and the undisputed master of Southern literature. One of his most celebrated works is The Reivers: A Reminiscence, a beautiful and wickedly funny story about a young boy growing up in Mississippi in the early 20th century, and his encounters with a variety of eccentric individuals. It is a profoundly compelling story that was inevitably going to be adapted to film, coming in the form of The Reivers, as adapted by screenwriters Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch (who had already made significant contributions to the canon of incredible films based in the American South, with films like Hud and The Long, Hot Summer being particularly notable), and directed by Mary Rydell, who was both reliable and acclaimed enough to be seen as a worthy person to helm this sometimes intimidating story. A film that traverses several different genres, and arrives as a compelling, brilliantly scathing satire that manages to be effective in both its steady development of broad socio-cultural ideas, and the off-the-cuff humour that keeps it fresh and invigorating, The Reivers is an absolute gem of a production, a simple but evocative story that proves the value of a story well-told, and the impact that a straightforward narrative can have when delivered by a dedicated group of collaborators, all of whom are united in their deep reverence for the subject matter and its author, as well as their forthright willingness to take on several deeper conversations that are stirred by this story.

When it comes to telling a fictionalized account of a particular country and their history, it always helps to utilize the concept of the coming-of-age story, since there is something so profoundly endearing about slightly younger characters, since their innocence allows for a more honest, wonder-filled depiction of the various milieux, without the grizzled, cynical perspective that growing older normally instils in us. There have been many exceptional stories of this calibre that utilize younger protagonists, and The Reivers is certainly not any different. Set in the Deep South at the turn of the 20th century, the film explores the relationship between pre-teen Lucius McCaslin, who idolizes a local “river” (another word for a thief, one that usually refers to those who don’t necessarily intend malice with their actions but is just more mischievous, and normally is given a warning and set on their ways, rather than being viewed as criminals) and the local troublemaker in the quaint Mississippi hamlet that they call their home. It follows them as they make their way to Memphis and back, stealing Lucius’ grandfather’s brand new automobile (coming at a time when cars had just started to trickle down in the general population, and where it was usually only the very wealthy that could afford these vehicles), in the hopes of making haste and returning before the arrival of our young protagonist’s family after their recent journey to a funeral. It is a very simple premise and the kind of picaresque journey that defined so much popular literature at the time, which is precisely why Faulkner’s original novel is so celebrated, which translated exceptionally well onto the screen. The film is essentially just two hours of troublemaking between three peculiar individuals as they voyage through the South, getting themselves into precarious situations every step of the way, leading to a wildly funny and wonderfully upbeat social satire that Rydell directs to an inch of its life, making sure that every scene had something to say, a risky choice but one that works in such broad, ambitious pieces.

Through developing the story around the hilarious and devilish misadventures of these characters, the film accomplishes the task of effectively capturing the zeitgeist of the United States in the early 20th century, a gilded age filled with promise and hope. It may not have been perfect (and any introductory conversation to the history of the era will show that there were still many awful human injustices embedded deep within the social fabric, especially in the Deep South, where the film takes place), and while Faulker is not afraid to draw on more serious conversations – there are moments when the film makes overt references to cotton picking and the history of sexual abuse between slaves and their masters – these aren’t the foundation of his text, since he is more focused on exploring America through the eyes of someone who has yet to encounter the dark injustices that are just beyond his youthful gaze. The Reivers is constructed as an effervescent comedy with a few moments of haunting beauty and sombre discourse, especially as the story progresses and we see the young character realize certain truths that those around him would have preferred he only learn about later in life. However, it doesn’t prevent the film from being a mostly playful affair, the perfect calibration of comedy and pathos, delivered in a rapid-fire, deeply empathetic manner that could only be found in this generation of literature, where writers put together sprawling historical and social odysseys that are extraordinarily complex but also extremely captivating, gliding through whatever specific period in which it takes place with such effortless ease, but never neglecting the more serious conversations lurking just out of sight. The best scenes in The Reivers are those in which the characters are simply rambling around the country, getting into various hilarious scenarios, since it gives a strong impression of the beauty of the natural world, as well as showcasing the camaraderie and companionship between these people, which are undeniably the driving force being Faulker’s delightful story of friendship.

The Reivers is a film driven more by the tone and the story than it is by the characters, but it was still imperative that these individuals are played by actors who could handle the various unique quirks that define this story, and Rydell makes use of his status as one of the more reliable, actor-friendly directors working at the time to secure Steve McQueen, with whom he had worked a few years previously when Rydell had a small role in Wanted: Dead or Alive, in which McQueen starred for several years. This role (which we can only assume was offered first to Paul Newman, based on the screenwriters’ relationship with him in previous years) is one of the more challenging in McQueen’s career, not in terms of technical difficulty, but in how it didn’t rely on too many of his more notable characteristics as an actor – he is not the effortlessly cool, forward-thinking beau idéal, but rather a more goofy, eccentric individual who tends to get himself and those around him into precarious situations, from which they only escape by the skin of their teeth and through pure luck. Yet, despite having to abandon the quirks that made him such a distinctive actor, McQueen is as excellent as ever – if anything, this role allowed him to liberate himself in terms of giving him a far more interesting character to play, one that depends less on his suave persona, and more on his ability to capture the audience’s attention through playing such a lovable, earnest character. It’s a highlight of his storied career and should be considered in the upper tier of his greatest performances, since it may not be dramatically very impressive, but it has its moments of sheer brilliance, proving that he was as adept a comedic actor as he was a dramatic one. He is joined by a great ensemble cast, including the gifted young Mitch Vogel, who is wonderfully natural and mature enough to convey the depth of his character’s journey, despite his age, and the severely underrated Rupert Crosse, who would be one of our greatest character actors if we didn’t lose him so early on in his career. It is a strong cast, and the chemistry between the two older actors and their young co-star helps emphasize the cross-generational friendship between these characters, which is right at the heart of this wonderful story.

The most appropriate description that we can give for The Reivers is essential that this is a work of carefully-controlled chaos, a two-hour-long social odyssey through the Deep South, featuring a range of wonderful eccentrics, a charming sense of humour and a lot of fascinating commentary on the past. It makes sure that it acknowledges the period in which it is set – we may not think of the year 1905 as being particularly noteworthy on its own, but as this film demonstrates, there was enough excitement contained in this period to make for a suitably thrilling film, which is made only richer by the fact that it is adapting a novel by someone who had first-hand experience of this very unique moment in American history. It is beautifully made – Rydell employs the very best artists in every department, whether it be the iconic John Williams composing one of his greatest scores (and my personal choice for his best work, with his combination of traditional film score orchestrations and folk music is incredible), or Richard Moore, whose Technicolor photography brings this period to life beautifully and with a lot of detail. Rydell doesn’t receive too much praise, since he normally functioned as more of a director-for-hire, but considering he was a strong visual stylist and could bring out the best in his actors (many giving some of their best work under his direction), perhaps it is time to start the conversation around reappraising him as a master of his craft. The Reivers is an ambitious work, and everyone involved is fully committed to bringing Faulkner’s iconic words to the screen in a way that is authentic to his values, and simply just incredibly poignant and meaningful in terms of its philosophy and stark worldview. It’s an astonishing work and one of the better examples of a rollicking historical comedy that can be both lightweight and address challenging concepts without employing a jarring or inconsistent tone. It’s beautifully compelling and always very entertaining and simply proves once again the unimpeachable impact of a story well-told.