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James Franco does Cormac McCarthy: The ‘Child of God’ trailer

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Three full weeks of 2014 passed before James Franco did something bookish and newsworthy: He directed “Child of God,” a film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s 1973 novel, and the (extremely violent) trailer is now online.

“Child of God” was McCarthy’s third novel; like his other early books, it is set in rural Tennessee. In it, a man who is a town outcast is pushed and compelled beyond the margins of society to depravity and murder. Brutal, wild, and without conscience, he is described -- bitterly? ironically? feelingly? -- as “a child of God much like yourself perhaps.”

Like much of McCarthy’s work, the book is intense, violent, and extreme; the reading can be hard going. Which might be why it’s taken more than 40 years for it to come to film.

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Spotlight Pictures straightforwardly bills the movie as “thriller, horror.” It’s got a strong cast -- Scott Haze, Tim Blake Nelson, and, yes, James Franco -- with what seems to be a stunning performance by Haze.

Although Franco has taken a lot of flack for daring to adapt William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying,” I think he should get credit for his ambition. He’s getting powerful, difficult works of literature on screen, “Child of God” included.

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James Franco does Cormac McCarthy: The ‘Child of God’ trailer

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