Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
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Sullivan’s Travels Movie Review
Sullivan’s Travels is a 1941 comedy film directed by Preston Sturges and starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. It’s one of the best films of all time.
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“There’s a lot to be said for making people laugh.
Did you know that that’s all some people have?
It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan“
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It follows a Hollywood comedy film producer who yearns to make a socially relevant drama about the real conditions of World War II-era regular Americans so he goes to experience that life first-hand and ultimately realizes that people need comedies more than dramas in the harshest of times. It’s a beautiful pro-comedy movie and literally the ultimate cinematic ode to this often dismissed, but still very important film genre.
It’s actually impressive, yet also very sad when you think how incredibly relevant this movie still is decades and decades after its release. Its power stayed the same because still Hollywood is entirely unaware and they simply don’t care about the plight of poor or ordinary people which is so realistically portrayed in this film. And even more relevant is the film’s portrayal of Hollywood’s dismissal of comedies as a genre which still continues to be a major problem.
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This is a wonderful comedy drama film which mixes great humor with a terrific social commentary. It portrays the poor realistically and it never thankfully glorifies or sugarcoats their life. It’s also a very grounded in reality movie when it comes to its plot as evidenced by that stealing sequence. I liked the entire adventurous/comedic first half with those action sequences being so pleasantly influenced by 1920s comedies in their fast-frame execution.
But the meat of the movie is in the second half where the real drama and emotion come from. Those chain gang scenes are so good and dark and I just loved that shift from light to dark which was handled so well in this very tonally diverse movie. The standout of the picture is the scene where everyone watches ‘Playful Pluto’ and laughs so hard. It’s a beautiful scene that is one of the most human sequences in any movie. I also hugely appreciated the positive portrayal of black people in this sequence and it’s a further proof of how progressive and ahead of time this flick truly was.
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Joel McCrea has always been a very good actor, but here he reached greatness by delivering his career-best performance. He’s so believable in his every scene and he plays such an inspirational, wonderful human being. Veronica Lake herself is incredibly charming and beautiful and I loved their playful relationship and how the movie is also very romantic too. All the other characters serve their purpose and are fine, but these two are the highlights for sure.
Sullivan’s Travels is a phenomenal, very original mix of typically rapid-fire dialogue, brisk pace, fast storytelling and silent filmmaking with those many scenes that showcase the life of the poor being entirely silent and all the more cinematic and sophisticated for it. The words are not needed there and the fact that Preston Sturges knew that just goes to show how capable he was as a director and very smart. His direction here is absolutely impressive and it’s obviously his magnum opus.
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The movie is also very well scored, superbly scripted and the dialogue is fantastic and very sophisticated. The same goes for the humor with some very nice lines and many very amusing moments to be found. The emotion is definitely felt, the pacing is simply perfect and the movie is immaculate in its every scene. It’s undoubtedly one of the finest movies of the forties and ultimately one of the greatest, most timeless films of its period.
Thanks to a perfect, very authentic mix of rapid-fire dialogue, brisk pace and emotional, realistic, silent filmmaking, Sullivan’s Travels is both funny and dramatic while also being quite romantic with Veronica Lake offering such a wonderful presence. Joel McCrea gave his career-best performance in such an endearing role whereas Preston Sturges’ direction is highly impressive. It’s a progressive, modern and still unfortunately very relevant look into Hollywood being out of touch with the real world and being ignorantly dismissive of the comedy genre. That cinema sequence is one of the most beautiful film scenes ever created and a perfect tribute to the comedy genre. Consequently, it’s one of the greatest films of all time.
