Original sentence: It centers on the recurring theme of an unyielding patriarch whose sense of principle and honor brings him into conflict with his only surviving son, a dishonest, self-centered libertine
Edited sentence: It centers on the  recurring theme of an unyielding patriarch whose deep sense of principle and honor brings him into major and irreconcilable conflict with his only surviving  son, a  dishonest, self-centered libertine.Then as now, it was heralded for its brutal and unflinching portrayal of the characters in McMurtry's popular novel with superb performances all around under Ritt's skilled direction and the genius of James Wong Howe's camerawork