Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

We watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in my Politics and Film class. I had to write a response to the film, particularly to what it has to say about politics. I'm going to be lazy and just copy and paste that. Keep in mind that it's for school, so if something sounds like B.S., it probably is. Oh, and you probably need to have seen the movie to get anything out of this, since I don't really describe the plot. Here goes...

The 1939 Frank Capra picture Mr. Smith Goes to Washington could very well be described as a political film, but I sense there is something simpler at the heart of this beloved classic. The film is less about politics than it is about the triumph of the spirit of our nation, and, although the plot revolves heavily around the inner-workings of our system of government and could thus be called governmental, to call it political would be a mistake. In fact, I would go so far as to contend that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an anti-political movie.

The word "politics" has never been looked upon too warmly, and by making his hero Jefferson Smith (in the form of a young, awkward and lovable Jimmy Stewart) a decidedly non-political figure, Capra creates a story that celebrates the common man, naive and inexperienced though he may be, over the all too easily corrupted political systems he exhibits in the film. This is not to say the movie completely disparages politics; in truth it displays the complexities of our government in an understandable way and clearly glorifies truth and decency in the American political culture. Maybe Capra is telling us we need more average Joes involved in government. Ultimately, the film shows a great deal of faith in our republic and our people.

By showing us the ugly side of American politics, Capra is able to juxtapose a much more optimistic vision of what American government can be if honest people stand up against the seemingly insurmountable opression of political corruption. The more corrupt and intense political pressure heaped upon Jefferson Smith, the more glorious his triumph is in the film's closing scene, and this is why the film works so well in a dramatic sense. The conflict is so intense that audience members cannot help but care deeply about its outcome in the final scenes. Capra uses similar juxtaposition to create sympathy for his characters, when he invites comparisons between Senator Smith (who is untainted, innocent, hopeful, and patriotic) and virtually every other character in the film, from characters like Clarissa Saunders (Jean Arthur), who are simply jaded and too wise for their own good, to those who have been completely corrupted by the temptations of power, characters like Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains).

It is difficult to put Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in a real political context since it was made 70 years ago, but many of the governmental principles are the same today, and all of the lessons about humanity still ring true. One interesting item to note is that Capra never shows us which state or which party Smith belongs to, which is important in developing a decidedly "everyman" quality in the character. He could be any one of us.

The question has been posed as to whether Capra depicts a fragile American system or a strong one. I believe he is suggesting that there is a thin, delicate line between the two, and, if not for honest Americans such as Jefferson Smith, the bad guys could easily win every time. But that is why I think this film is so special. It doesn't necessarily believe the system always works; it believes in the strength and goodness of the American people - and ultimately suggests that we are the reason the system does work. If the system is to be strong, we must be strong first.