Jefferson Smith is a naïve man
who is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate by those in power in his
state, thinking that he will not cause any trouble. Washington politics prove
to be a rude awakening for Smith, as he decides to go head-to-head with
political corruption, refusing to back down.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is
one of American auteur Frank Capra’s
greatest films. Capra promoted the ideals of American life with his films – a sense
of morality and sentimentality. His best include: It Happened One
Night, Mr.
Deeds Goes to Town, You Can’t Take It
with You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Arsenic and Old
Lace, and It’s
a Wonderful Life. On this film, he worked with composer Dimitri Tiomkin,
cinematographer Joseph
Walker, and art director Lionel Banks.
The cast is fantastic. The film
stars James Stewart,
and features Jean
Arthur, Claude
Rains, Edward
Arnold, Thomas
Mitchell, and Harry
Carey in support.
To some, Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington is sentimental nonsense. The film believes in moral people willing
to stand up for what is right against seemingly insurmountable odds. Jefferson
Smith is a man who cares deeply about what America means (freedom and so on)
and wants to leave the country in better hands than he found it. The film may
seem sentimental now because it is abundantly clear that Washington (and really
government at almost every level) is completely corrupt and not filled with
those looking to make the country or their states better (in almost all cases).
Rather, our government has become a cesspool of special interest groups and
powerful lobbyists who bog down and mare everything in their filth, as
politicians now serve at the pleasure of those willing to fund their campaigns
and give them jobs, speaking engagements, and other perks (these groups usually
representing large corporate interests and religious groups – both of which put
profit/ideology ahead of what is best for the country in the long run). We all
know the system is desperately broken and completely disgustingly corrupt, but
no one really cares. Today, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is nonsense because
apathy has put us all in a deadly malaise. It is also poignant, however,
because it showcases a man willing to fight against the system for something
better. We should be so lucky to actually have men and women like that today.
This film is just as powerful today because America is on the precipice of
disaster. We were the leader in the world in almost every area. Now we fear
progress, technology, freedom, immigrants, those who are different, knowledge –
we champion ignorance, stupidity, lies, and fear. Apathy is easy when the
system is so far gone that actually trying to do anything to make a difference
just seems like a waste of time – and, our own lives consume all our time
anyway. Again, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is just as important and powerful
today. The smallest can make a difference, if only he or she would try and
believe.
Trailer: Here
