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Sometimes a film truly becomes art,such is the case with this 1960 film that although its a might long at 146 minutes,is none the less flawless as art.True enough,many only thought of it as a indictment of religion as home to the flim flan man.No,its much more than that.It IS a story of religion and faith,deception and contrivance but above all that it is a story of the human condition.Fine acting by all involved but mainly by Burt Lancaster in as dominate role as any even preformed on the screen.Below I have posted the IMDB summary as well as the trailer URL after the picture but my take on the film is this.Its a hard cruel world and only belief and hope gives you the strength to plug along.Set in the prohibition era after the end of WW1,this country was slowly moving from a agricultural society to a urban one and that meant a whole new set of trials and tribulations for us all.It has been said that religion is the refuge of fools,no,to me,its a anchor in a turbulent world.After watching this film you just might understand the forces at work in Islam today,just as the forces at work in Christianity had their modern upheavals in the time depicted in this film.Was Elmer the devil or Jesus stuck in a modern desert battling the devil ?Was Sister Sharon Falconer,played by Jean Simmons,a saint or a fool?Shirley Jones as Lulu Bains,a post modern Mary Magdalene ??
So many questions and points of views.Just like any work of art.Must see bucket list film,today,more than ever.
Elmer Gantry is a fast talking, hard drinking traveling salesman who always has a risqué story and a hip flask to entertain cronies and customers alike. He is immediately taken with Sister Sharon Falconer, a lay preacher whose hellfire and damnation revivalism has attracted quite a following. Gantry uses his own quick wit and knowledge of the bible to become an indispensable part of Sister Sharon's roadshow but soon finds that his past catches up with him in the form of Lulu Bains, now a prostitute. While Gantry seeks and eventually gets forgiveness from Sharon, tragedy strikes when she finally manages to get out of her revivalist tent and opens a permanent church. Written by garykmcd
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