Intruder in the Dust

(Clarence Brown, US 1949, 87 min., 35mm)

Reinventing Hollywood. This rarely seen adaptation of the mystery novel by William Faulkner investigates racism and justice in the mid-century South. When a black landowner is falsely charged with the murder of a white lumberman, it’s up to an unlikely band to defend him. A black teen, a white teen and his lawyer uncle, and an elderly woman come together to prove the landowner’s innocence and bring the true murderer to justice. While providing a social message, the film also highlights the importance of mystery to 1940s cinema and utilizes the flashback technique.