Review of His Girl Friday (1940) by Eira L — 14 Nov 2010

Fast-moving, fast-talking rush of energy and wit with no time to wait around for any audience members who aren't keeping up. The writing is so sharp and the dialogue so rapid that the movie, like the characters it showcases, can easily catch you with a fierce momentum that convincingly sells its as saying something of more depth and substance than it actually is. Don't misunderstand, this is quite a good movie with much that still holds water today, and it certainly deserves being well-remembered and regarded, but it isn't the classic it's made out to be.

Hawks plays with the same themes as usual, so there's nothing new there. He's got his strong female who's uniquely capable of joining the man's collective, defined by loyalty to a job or idea and dedication to coming out on top in it. Dying to a task is something Hawks always seemed to see as both admirable and deplorable. It takes a strength, drive, obsession that most people, dull people, lack in order to succeed at these things, but at the same time it means giving up simple happinesses and parts of the soul. Its hard to discern at times whether he leans one way or the other in feeling these sacrifices are honorable or an example of losses to mourn as we slip deeper into embracing the dark parts of ourselves. He certainly has an affinity for both perspectives, which probably means he understood the male psyche better than most.

The characters aren't particularly likeable so it falls to the message and style of the thing to make you care. The whole a-moral newspaper bit was, for my time/money, much much more effective in Ace In The Hole, with this making similar, but neutered, statements on the media and its growing savagery, cruelty, and heartlessness. So that element is neat, but done better elsewhere, which leaves the style and flavor to do this trick and thankfully thats where it earns its stripes. Hawks was a master of dialogue, and the fast-paced newspaper context gives him ample opportunity to really stretch himself and explore the limits of how fast he can push the pace and quips while still keeping things somewhat followable for an audience unaccustomed to this type of feverish speed.

Grant is impressive in keeping up and feeling believable, but mostly he's just window dressing. This is Hawks' film, and his direction is the star. The inclusion of any big-name actors is just superfluousness.

Very much a good movie, and well-worth the time for anyone interested in some well-directed, not-at-all-feel-good mayhem, but doesn't hold up as the must-see piece of genius most critics and film buffs make it out to be.