This week for my Writing for Communication class we had to watch the movie "Sullivan's Travels." The movie follows a Hollywood film director, John L. Sullivan, on his quest to find out what poverty and suffering are really like. Sullivan only knows about poverty from what he has read in books and seen in movies. The movie starts out as a satire but slowly turns into a tragedy. When I was watching the movie I felt a sense of deja vu. It took me an hour to realize why I was feeling that way.
When I was no older than 10 years old, I watched the final 30 minutes of some classic movie with my grandfather. A group of prisoners were walking two by two down a church aisle with "Go Down Moses" being sung in the background. The prisoners sat and the congregation dimmed the lights. A Mickey Mouse cartoon played on the screen. The prisoners were laughing so hard that tears were forming in their eyes. The main character was confused by this at first but then joined in laughing. These were prisoners who had nothing in the world besides a little cartoon. Their one moment of joy in a life of sadness was a cartoon that we see everyday. I remember that night I decided that whatever I wanted to do, I made sure that it would make people's lives better in some way.
I never figured out what the movie was and always thought it was "Grapes of Wrath." But last week I realized that the movie was "Sullivan's Travels." Only 30 minutes of that movie has been motivating me for the last decade.
Everyone should watch classic movies such as “Sullivan's Travels” because they are masterpieces. While modern films are technologically superior, they often lack so much. Classic movie directors had so little to work with but they made the most of it. They emphasized emotions and creativity. Masterpieces do not just give you a sense of joy, they give you a purpose. Whether the purpose is to work hard so you can surpass your idols, or make the world a better place, that purpose drives you to find meaning.
I come from a world where I have been given so much and over the last 10 years I have strived to give back. Imagine what would happen if everyone watched “Sullivan's Travels” when they were 10. I imagine the world would be a better place.
