Review of Elmer Gantry (1960) by Josh M — 31 Jan 2010

Elmer Gantry sounds like it should be compelling, gripping material. It's the story of a drunkard salesman who figures out that evangelism - particularly revivalism - is a way to make it big. And, to the movie's credit, it gets all kinds of things right.

There are swings taken at blind faith, haymakers tossed at hypocrisy and money-infused Christianity, and a compelling argument for the application of common sense in dealing with religion. And yet, despite all that, the movie never quite becomes the masterpiece I was hoping for.

Ultimately, despite being the title character, and despite Lancaster's Oscar-winning performance, Gantry remains as much of a mystery by the film's end as he is near the beginning. You never get a sense of where the con game ends and where the real begins, and I don't think it's always an intentional ambiguity.

Of course, the same can be said for Jean Simmons's Sister Falconer, and perhaps I'm not giving the movie credit for the ambiguity - maybe it was intentional. In the end, though, Elmer Gantry works as a great personal drama, but only toys with the themes I was interested in.

Is it worth seeing? It's well-told, finely acted, but lacks the ambition (and, to be fair, the teeth and guts - the opening apology/disclaimer pretty much lets you know where the movie stands) that could have made it a prophetic masterpiece on the level of A Face in the Crowd or Network.