Essay about Film Review: Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

2. In today’s world there would be some mixed reactions to a senator like Jefferson Smith. Some people would disapprove of him because he is not the characteristic senator and has no political experience. They would think that he was young, and inexperienced, and that he did not deserve to be in such a highly respected position. Other people would love that he was standing up for what he knew was right, and that he was doing what needed to be done against those people who take advantage of our

Smith Goes to Washington and its message were especially relevant at the time of its release, which enhances the plot. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was released in October of 1939, ten years after the beginning of the Great Depression and one month after the start of World War II in Europe. Overall, the movie inspires hope in viewers. The viewers see Smith struggle his way through Washington D.C., being beaten down by the press and other senators, but in the end they see Smith prevail. The plot of the movie is meant to reassure viewers that democracy is all well and living and that through persistence and pure intent, anyone can succeed. I felt the movie was meant to inspire efficacy in viewers and show that someone in government will always have the common man’s best interest at heart. During the Great Depression there was a huge expansion of the Federal government’s powers, and I think Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was intended to remind people that their interests were still well represented and that the principles of liberty and justice for all were intact. There is a lot of patriotic themes throughout the movie, which I thought served as reminders that America is unique, and the patriotism and spirit of democracy contrasted with what viewers knew was happening in Europe. The romance between Smith and Saunders was a reminder that, hardened as they might seem, the government is no different than the people whose liberties it guarantees. It also shows that there is

Before the depression, there was a limited concept of social class which allowed the rich and poor to enjoy many of the same luxuries. Hollywood began to produce more films when the demand of movies and live performances began to rise. As the depression was beginning to take its toll on American citizens, the people wanted an escape from their reality so the movies had an important role with Americans. As the movie industry grew, the venues had to accommodate the massive increase of people attending the shows and they were primarily placed in larger cities (Khan Academy). The prices of a movie ticket were very low which meant that anybody who was rich or poor, old, or young could attend these showings. The affordability of the tickets allowed people to escape their issues and enjoy simple

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a film about an average man’s journey and experience in Congress as Senator of Mississippi.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” Mr. Smith was too naive to survive as a senator during the time the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” took place. Mr. Smith’s naiveté was most evident in his ambitious proposal to start a national boys camp. However, when false allegations regarding Mr. Smith’s motives for starting the camp surfaced, Smith was too idealistic to defend himself from the political machine that accused him of acting in self-interest. Making matters worse, Senator Smith was a genuinely honest and simple-minded man, making it difficult for him to survive among his scheming colleagues.

Throughout the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington the main character, Mr. Smith, shows his unfaltering patriotism and devotion toward being an honest man, promoting liberty and freedom. The politicians in the film seem to be the exact opposite of Mr. Smith because they forget that everything is about the people and doing what is right. Many politicians today share both the qualities of Mr. Smith as well as the other politicians, which could be improved.

In the 1920s, Americans were trying to figure out what was everyone’s role in society. During this time women started to take on bigger jobs then housekeeping and African Americans are finally standing up for their race. Once 1929 hit, Herbert Hoover, America’s newest president, was viewed as an ‘American Superhero’ at that time because of everything he promised society; however, America gets hit by the Great Depression leaving society in a hole. While banking systems were unstable and overproduction were leaving people bankrupt, Herbert Hoover was blaming Europe and was failing to keep society financially stable. As his presidency went on, filmmakers made film cycles and gangster pictures like Little Caesar that portrayed America’s corrupt society during the Great Depression. By the end of his campaign, Hoover was known as the worst American ever which led to the rising of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Roosevelt saw the struggling society as an opportunity to help his campaign in which he created the New Deal. America was given an opportunity that allowed them to look forward to the future. During Herbert Hoover’s presidency, America did not support the federal government, but after Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for president and promised a New Deal, they began to look more favorably on the government.

“Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?” is an award winning documentary about Jeff Smith a 29-year old who was a part time political science instructor at Washington University, who decided to become a democratic candidate to replace Dick Gephardt’s spot who just announced his retirement in 2004. Even though he was equipped with no money, no political recognition and was considered a no name. This documentary exhibited the true behind the scenes take on the campaign trail of an underdog politician. Jeff was at first brushed off by the other ten candidates, one being state Representative Russ Carnahan who is apart of a very well known political family. Jeff slow grassroots campaign gained a following base of over 500 volunteers, a hodge podge

Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington develops the themes of idealism, realism, and cynicism. Idealism is the way of looking for the best in everything and not really seeing the bad. Realism is the way of looking at things the way they are in the real world. Cynicism is the way of thinking that no one has any good in them and that the whole world is horrible. Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington brings out the themes of idealism, realism, and cynicism through the main characters, Clarissa Saunders, Senator Joseph Paine, and Jefferson Smith.

The film, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is an great example of what is going in the politics back then and today too. Some characters in the film are Jefferson Smith- Young Senator and the main character, Clarissa Saunders- Smith’s Assistant, Joseph Paine- Senior Senator, Jim Taylor- Political Boss, Gov. Hopper- Governor, Chick McGann- Taylor’s Assistant and Diz Moore- Newspaper Reporter and Saunders friend.

He was quoted as saying, “You may remember, in the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, when Jimmy Stewart stands in the well of the senate and says lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for… I’m going to stand right here and fight for this lost cause even if room… is filled lies.” “So will I.” (Smoodin, 1996). Regan was not the only individual who was affected by this movie. In Michael P. Rogin and Kathleen Moran’s paper “Mr.Capra Goes to Washington” the authors discuss how this movie affected different sections of American society. They claim that the part of society that was most reactive to the movie was the United States government (Rogin, 2003).

In the article “Creating Reel Change,” published in Sojourners in November 2006, Donovan Jacobs points out that some filmmakers have been creating films in public which contains social issues in order to influence social behaviors. He mentions that in the past, people in the media usually avoid including political issues into their films; they create the films only for entertainment. Nowadays, viewers have a great chance of assessing social network and watching TV programs and movies easily. The filmmakers tend to promote the importance of social issues to motivate the viewer’s responsibilities and have the real actions. Especially, Jeff Skoll, a former of eBay president, invested $100 million for co-financing

Hollywood has influenced American history since it began. It boosted and shaped the morale of a nation for almost a century. But Hollywood has not only been the influencing American society, it has been influenced by American society. In the 1920s, American society was booming; people were getting rich, spending and borrowing money, and they thought life was looking good. Then in October of 1929 the stock market crashed. Many people lost all they owned. People had invested all their money into the banks before the Crash. After the Crash, the banks had nothing. People were destitute. They had no money to pay for their houses, electrical bills, and food. It became the Great Depression. Likewise, Hollywood was impacted by the Great

The trauma of the Great Depression is also shown in the inability of government and authority to complete their tasks. In most of Hawks’s films, governments, which represent law and order, are useless and corruptive. Hereoes and heroines have fun to fool the government or the police. For instance, Vivian and Marlowe fool the police through telephone. Susan in Bring Up Baby simply deceives the police to avoid the parking ticket. In the screwball comedies, psychologists are always wrong and they are the unfortunate characters to bear the loss. Americans at that time would like to see the misbehavior of authority and government, and the films express people’s fear of Great Depression and memories

The Popularity of Gangster Films in the Early Nineteen-Thirties The late 1920s in America was a particularly tumultuous period of time for the country. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 had led to high levels of unemployment and dissatisfaction within the country. The Depression (1929-1934), which was a direct result of The Wall Street Crash, led to a breakdown of industry and commerce within the country and weakened its global position as a superpower. People began to realise that the ideal which had been frequently promoted by governmental propaganda of The American Dream which suggested that "success, in the democratic and classless society guaranteed by the