Hmm. I would have to read the book to know whether McGill's POV on that makes sense or not. People always adapt art to their own time and sensibilities. I would tend to think that the emptiness of Lou Ford is part of the whole point. Ford has no interest in the world he lives in short of seeking to fulfill his own "sick" "evil" needs. That's it. He can put on emotions the way other people put on clothes but they're never part of him.

I found the film similar to Devil's Rejects but different in that the director did not try to manipulate the audience into having any sympathy for the protagonists. There was another movie like that which comes to mind "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" which was also pretty empty at the core. I thought that was deliberate as well.