Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Review

There are a select few directors whom have impeccable resumes, a group of master craftsman who spent a career fashioning a body of work that stands the test of time. Frank Capra is one of those men, a director who left in his wake a number of classics of Hollywood cinema, films that speak to who we are as Americans, embracing the contradictions that seemingly go with this nationality. Capra's work is deceptively smart, masquerading themselves as easy going, small town stories when in reality, they are subversive works of the highest order, questioning the morals and ethics of a time that many view as classical Americana. As a result, Capra's film were often times not well received, attacked by critics and audiences as being pieces that criticized the American way of life. It has only been with time that his works have been given the space to breathe, allowing their overwhelming brilliance to shine through. Just such a film was Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, now considered one of Capra's finest works but once despised by the people it portrays and decried by audiences as Communist propaganda.

Released in 1939, it tells the story of Jefferson Smith, brilliantly portrayed by legendary Jimmy Stewart, a local man who is thrusted into the halls of Congress after one of his state's senators dies unexpectedly. Initially a wide eyed newcomer, Smith gradually matures throughout the film until the final, stunning climax in which he truly earns his stripes. Initially, the film comes off as hokey and dated until one realizes that its naivety has been completely planned out. It is not a matter of the film being almost 70 years old that results in its most "Aw Shucks" moments but rather a subtle calculation by Capra that beautifully sets up the second half of the film. Much like another Capra classic It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is really a film of two distinct halves, the first furiously working to set up the second. The timing couldn't be better, as just when the audience has grown comfortable with Smith's small town charms, Capra pulls the rug out from under us, leaving us as shocked as Smith when he is betrayed by a fellow senator and close family friend, Joe Paine, who is brought to life by a spectacular performance by Claude Rains.


Up until the final 45 minutes, the film works well as a studio era dramedy but it is during the final act of the film in which it truly takes off to dizzying heights. It works as a gripping suspense film, a political drama and sly comedy or in other words, a signature Capra feature, one that transcends genre into something special. The effortless blend of humor and drama is sublime thanks to Sidney Buchman's Oscar nominated screenplay, a sharp view at the inner workings of pre-World War II Washington. Now, this isn't necessarily the most realistic of stories, taking on a fable like feel to get its point across but Capra was never concerned with a gritty realism. Even at the darkest points of It's a Wonderful Life, moments before George Bailey's suicidal thoughts (arguably Capra's most cynical point), the feel is that of a stylized drama, snow pelting our hero as he contemplates his life. Rather, Capra (an undying optimist) and Buchman choose to abandon any sense of Washington insider feel in favor of a populist message that to be honest, is rather convincing.

Even the most hardened critics of democracy will find themselves rooting for Smith during his show stopping filibuster and what a show stopper it is. This is the moment where Jimmy Stewart, the actor, became Jimmy Stewart, the legend, blasting through the climactic stand off with Paine possessing a ferocious emotion that still resonates as one of the great performances of all time. Stewart fearlessly gives it his all, leaving nothing to chance, resulting in a moving and emotionally exhausting 20 minute sequence that rightfully deserves any praise audiences feel the need to award it. Stewart's monumental performance is supported by wonderful cast such as the aforementioned Rains, a sublime Jean Arthur, Harry Carry, Edward Arnold and Thomas Mitchell, who for my money, was one of the four or five greatest character actors in the studio system. All wholeheartedly give themselves to the material, providing the film with a fantastic ensemble performance. Without each of these actors considerable talents, Mr. Smith would undoubtedly suffer but thankfully, Capra had easily made the A-List by '39 and was given the opportunity to work with the best Hollywood had to offer.


Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is as essential viewing as it gets. It works as a brilliant primer to the inner workings of democracy, as a entry point to the complexities of populism or just a straight Capra drama. Regardless of how one wants to look at it, the film will almost certainly force one to think about the government so many American blindly defend, unwilling to recognize that it is as susceptible to corruption and manipulation as any other. This is by no means an anti-American film but rather a glowing endorsement of what Democracy offers the people of this country. It provides a glimpse of what is possible when there is enough emotion and passion behind an idea. Above all, it is a rousing tale of the little guy winning out over the man, a film that would politically not be out of place in the 60's. Its ideas, which may seem tame, are stunning in their impassioned strength and thoughtfulness, dangerous enough to have been banned throughout most of Facist Europe in the 1940's. Perhaps the most glowing endorsement of the film came in 1942, when the Nazi's outlawed American film in occupied France and a number of theatres chose Capra's masterpiece as their last showing. In fact, one theatre in Paris screened Mr. Smith Goes to Washington nonstop in the 30 days before the ban took effect. For those living under the harsh realities of Hitler's Germany, it was Capra's vision that provided them with hope and strength. If that doesn't speak volumes, then I'm not sure what does.

*****