Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Written by Sidney Buchman & Myles Connolly

Directed by Frank Capra

1998 List Ranking: 29

2007 List Ranking: 26

Of the films on this list so far, this is one that I was definitely looking forward to, because for years I’ve heard how much of a classic it is (it could have won Best Picture, but had the misfortune of opening the same year as Gone With the Wind). Having seen it now, I feel that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington feels incredibly timely, and I don’t think that that’s a good thing.

The film follows Jefferson Smith, a young man from an unnamed state who is appointed to the U.S. Senate (due to the nefarious machinations of his fellow Senator and the political boss who controls him). Once he arrives in Washington DC, the extremely intelligent but idealistic Smith soon learns of the corrupt ways of both the media and the government, and he finds himself in battle against a huge political machine bent on destroying him and his reputation.

Smith arrives in Washington

As Smith, James Stewart does a remarkable job at playing the wide gamut of emotions that Smith progresses through: from idealistic (if not somewhat confused) young Senator, to bumbling potential-suitor to his fellow Senator’s daughter, to horrified scapegoat, and finally to a hardened-yet-hopeful holdout on the Senate floor. It’s quite a lot of ground to cover, yet Stewart handles the various twists and turns with (seemingly) relative ease. In particular, he does an excellent job of embodying the fresh, bright-eyed newcomer to the federal government, and his sheer delight in seeing the various landmarks and memorials is palpable and even somewhat contagious.

Taylor (Edward Arnold) manipulates Payne (Claude Raines)

His costars are somewhat more hit-and-miss: as his co-Senator Payne, Claude Raines is excellent, expertly balancing the knife-edge between his wholesome and revered public persona and his darker, more crooked private persona. There is an excellent scene about midway through the film between Raines and Edward Arnold, who plays the extremely corrupt political boss Jim Taylor. It’s a battle of wits as Payne wrestles with his angels and demons, trying to wash his hands of Taylor’s schemes as Taylor slowly manipulates him into continuing (all of this is for a dam to be built in their home state; I admit that I missed the reasons as to why the dam is important or why it’s turning everyone evil, but I assume it’s money, because ‘MURICA). Raines plays both of his persona’s expertly, especially as the two begin conflicting within him.

Jean Arthur spends most of the third act of the film doing…this.

On the flip side, Jean Arthur, as Smith’s secretary Saunders, is so stereotypically “holier-than-thou” (insomuch as a hardened DC power player (for a secretary) can be), that it becomes draining, and weakens the arc she goes on to become Smith’s primary supporter (especially as she disappears for a portion of the film). From the outset, she is dismissive and even rude towards Smith, as if he’s beneath her (which, to her, I suppose he is, but you’re also HIS SECRETARY, so maybe cool your jets?), and she’s given only one scene to soften towards him before she apparently is in love with him and runs away from Washington, deeply disturbed by how Smith is being treated (despite (presumably) having seen this sort of behavior time and time again). She’s just sort of all over the place, and while she helps Smith repeatedly during the film’s third act, she also spends large bulk of her time becoming another crying, hand-wringing woman that is so commonplace in early Hollywood.

I mentioned that the film feels timely, and I don’t mean that in a good way. The way the corrupt politicians just blatantly ignore the wishes of their constituents (or, even more, manipulate them) seems like a direct parallel to today. At one point, the politicians call for hoses to be turned against supporters of Smith in an eerily evocative reminder of tear-gassing protestors to take a picture with a bible in front of a church. At another, grown men viciously attack young boys who are spreading truthful information that the politicians are trying to suppress. It’s haunting and sickening, especially because today, it’s real.

Smith confronts Payne

One final issue with the film is that the film just…ends. The battle between Smith and Payne (and, by extension, the other politicians) comes to a head and a resolution, but before we can learn what happens to anyone, the words “THE END” appear up on the screen. It’s as if the entire denouement is cut entirely from the movie; I don’t have a problem with a film not giving the audience a happy ending, but they should get SOME ending. It’s like reading a book, only to discover the final chapter is missing. It’s the Death Star blowing up followed by the end credits. It’s jarring, and left a sour taste in my mouth.

In the end, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington isn’t a bad film: it has some great performances and a compelling (if not somewhat confusing) story. It’s not without its weak points, either, but most importantly, it shows the dangers of electing officials who do not care for or about the people that they serve. With an election just a few weeks away, the need to go out and vote for those who support and care for everyone, not just their cronies, has never been more important.

FINAL GRADE: B+