Ode to Washington

Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

It is one of the first films I have seen which is directly about politics, and it surprised me at the strength of the plot despite many potential difficulties due to it attacking controversial issues. Politics is rarely engaging with the public, specially shown in Britain nowadays when the ruling class are stereotypically from Eton - so haughty and above the common man. Despite this, Mr Smith Goes to Washington doesn't give you much faith in the government either. Instead it reveals the truth about Capitalism and democracy. With corrupt business owners, infiltration of blackmail and injustice is all too easy.

In my dreams I'm a Marxist and I'm sure that many people are like this too (a fair, equal society - what more could you want?), but unfortunately Mr Marx was dreaming too.

James Stewart (probably one of the nicest guys in film) plays naive rookie to the American senate, Chief of the Boy Scouts; Jefferson Smith; a new senator hand picked by the governor in the hope that he is too clueless to realise he is being used.

Already there is scheming, blackmail, puppeteering that allegedly goes on behind the facade of true democracy. America labelled themselves the 'Leaders of the Free World'. Or rather should they be, as described in Mr Smith Goes To Washington, 'Leaders of the crazed Capitalist world dominated by 'fat cat' businessmen who dictate politics for personal profit?'

As a film, it is poignant and beautifully filmed. Strangely it advertises 'old America' when Jeff Smith is drooling like an excited schoolboy at the legendary, monuments standing resolute in the city. Smith escapes to glimpse the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Smithsonian. The influential ex-president towers over mortals like a god on Mount Olympus; sitting, pondering, surveying the America that he has helped shaped.

The entertainment value is high as the film engages with all types of viewers so it is universally understood. There are sweet moments of galavanting boy scouts admirably striving to save their hero Jeff from the political machine of the businessman named Taylor. The characters are well developed and relationships are heartwarming because you know in the end humans do have compassion :).

We all end up loving Jeff Smith - the archetypal American hero (before the days of Top Gun though). We admire his motivation to follow through with his plan defeat the 'Taylors' of today. Plus, his determination to uphold proceedings of the senate just so he could triumph, whilst securing friendship along the way.

It is a film filled with food for thought.

 *****