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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Frank Capra’s classic film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, is the tale of a common man standing alone against corrupt United States Senators and the political bosses pulling their proverbial strings. James Stewart stars as Jefferson Smith, a naïve, young man appointed to the United States Senate to finish the term of a recently deceased Senator in an unnamed state. Sen. Joseph Paine (Claude Raines), a reputable Senator who is secretly a cog in a political machine run by Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold), takes a liking to Smith and becomes his mentor. However, Smith soon becomes savvy to Paine’s secret dealings and thus, he is exposed to the seedy underbelly of U.S. politics. With the aide of his secretary, Clarissa Saunders (Jean Arthur), Jeff Smith wages war in the form of a filibuster with all of those who seek to profit from the suffering of the common man.

When considering the time in which this film was released, it is easy to realize why this film was met with so much controversy. Not only could the populist undertones potentially spark dissent among the audience, but also it paints a less than flattering image of the United States government. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an extremely bold film, both at the time it was released and today, almost 70 years later. James Stewart is absolutely brilliant in this film, especially in the conclusion when he vows to hold the floor of Congress until he has exposed all of the corruption on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a fantastic film with a powerful message; something that most modern popular films seem to lack.

Written by: Wayne Raymondo

Reviewers Rating: 9.5
Reader's Rating: 10.00
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