Review of Sullivan's Travels (1941) by Hunter D — 02 Aug 2010

Fans of the Coen Brothers will watch SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS and let out a nice "Oooooooh" while enjoying this perfect, incredibly underrated comedy from Preston Sturges. One can see themes and ideas from this film in movies that the Coens have done, bits of this movie almost make BARTON FINK look like an extremely dark retelling of the theme. The movie is about a Hollywood director named Sullivan (Joel McCrea) who is tired of churning out lighthearted musicals and fluffy screwball comedies. Convinced that nobody wants to laugh when war and poverty plague the nation, Sullivan wants to make O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, a movie about the common man that will speak to everyday people. However Sullivan wants to tell a story he knows nothing about, as he realizes he knows nothing about being poor and living day-to-day, so he sets out on the road to leave L.A. and live the life of a depression-era hobo, and what he will find will no doubt surprise him. Hilarity (and sometimes horror) ensues.

What Sturges has cooked up here is a satire of Hollywood's condescending brand of liberalism. Ever since film production began, studio producers and directors have been putting their idea of what it is like to be poor on screen, often unintentionally glamorizing the experience. It also shows that Hollywood often doesn't get what people want to see when they go to the movies. Like the titular character in BARTON FINK, Sullivan is earnest in his desire to make a movie that speaks to everyday folk, but in doing so he unintentionally offends those who are or have been in that situation. However Sturges respects his main character, and seems to love all the buffoons he depicts in his screenplays. The movie is never mean-spirited, it has moments that are unrelentingly hilarious, and bits of ecstasy when character arcs come to fruition. I've only seen a handful of Sturges' films, but this is certainly one of the best, if you haven't seen any of his movies, this is a great place to start, especially if you like the Coen Brothers.