Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Movie Review
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 political comedy drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur. It is a beautiful film.
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“Either I’m dead right
or I’m crazy!“
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A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn’t back down. As is the case with literally all Capra outings, this movie is also not for everybody, especially the cynics of today. I, however, have always admired the optimism and hope of his films, and this one is no different. It is regarded as one of his masterpieces, and rightfully so as it’s truly amazing.
Taking on the government and the senate this forcefully must not have been easy in 1939’s America, but the fact that he did just that only goes to show the bravery and strong will of this director. He has always ought to instill hope, humanism and simple kindness to people through his movies, and nowhere has that been more the case than in this beautifully human story where fighting for the right thing becomes the imperative of utmost importance.
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Clearly the highlight of the movie has to be the third act that acts as a courtroom drama of sorts where Smith basically makes an endless speech about the importance of freedom and truth. That entire sequence worked despite its very obvious naivety and immense optimism because the man basically speaks out about all the wrongs of any government of any country, thus making his speech truly relatable and powerful.
I also really appreciated the emphasis on media as a powerful tool of manipulation. The freedom of press being so important is one of the main themes here, and to me the film is all the more relevant today when the power of media and fake/manipulated news has become even more potent unfortunately. Of course, the political machine concept has also sadly for the US become even more prominent, thus rendering this movie more timeless than timely despite what everyone else would say about it being “dated”.
Jean Arthur is simply wonderful here. Without her, the movie simply would not have been the same. She added a lot of warmth and heart to the picture. She’s just as radiant and beautiful as she always is, probably delivering one of her finest performances here. The romance between the two is absolutely wonderful and the two are so charming together. Mrs. Saunders is the powerful woman behind a great man for sure.
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Speaking of that man, Smith is one of Capra’s most naïve, most wholesome heroes. He may sound implausible, but there are at least some people like him in this world and they are important to remind us of what’s right and worth fighting for. As for Stewart’s performance, it’s a work of miracle. In fact, it just might be his career-greatest performance. He commands the screen and he sold every single line of dialogue with tremendous competence. It’s a great testament to his acting prowess that he managed to make this role that was tailor-made for him even more powerful and memorable. The fact that he lost an Oscar this year is truly shameless.
Others are also quite good with the finest player being the Oscar-nominated Claude Rains. He is superb throughout as one of the film’s most important senators. Edward Arnold is also terrific in not that different turn from his role in the previous year’s ‘You Can’t Take It with You’. All the supporting players make an impact, but Arthur and Stewart are the heart and soul of it.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington doesn’t become politically didactic or tedious due to a tone being perfectly struck between comedic and dramatic. Most of the film actually plays as a lightweight comedy of sorts, and that was a terrific choice for a movie which otherwise could have been too burdensome due to its dark themes.
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The humor is wonderful throughout, the dialogue is truly magnificent and the movie flies by due to excellent, brisk pacing that made the film consistently engaging. Its heart is always in the right place and its message has only become more important in today’s political climate. The cinematography is also great, being the most effective in some starkly filmed interior scenes. The direction is per usual superb and the movie deserved all of its Oscar nominations while Stewart himself should have won this year without any doubt.
