Review of Sullivan's Travels (1941) by Josh F — 16 Sep 2013

I enjoyed enough of the whippy dialogue to help me stomach some of the Old Hollywood problems that Sullivan's Travels perpetuates, even despite its general good-natured self-awareness. Primarily I mean the absurd characterization given to Veronica Lake's The Girl - she just can't get enough of Sullivan's constant cold shoulders and rude rebukes, can she? And yes, she is simply "The Girl".

Ain't pointing this out to "blame" Sturges or his studio or accuse them of abject misogyny or anything, but it's interesting to see such regressive values in full view, despite the movie's otherwise good intentions.

Also I find the central thesis of the movie a biiiiiit problematic - it takes the argument of art-as-charity, intended to pacify, rather than incite or inform, the marginalized and oppressed. Not that I don't think escapism has its place, but again, it's just interesting to such a self-aware movie kinda lack awareness on a deeper level.