Essay on Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Frank Capra’s â€Å"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington† In Frank Capra’s 1939 people’s fable â€Å"Mr. Smith goes to Washington â€Å"Jefferson Smith, a young, idealistic, and naà ¯ve hero from a Midwestern state is thrust into public notoriety through a chance course of events. His journey will compel him to contemplate the veracity of the political foundation which supports American democracy and confront the corruption which seeks to erode it. Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, an organization closely based on the Boy Scouts of America, becomes a state hero after â€Å"single-handedly† putting out a forest fire. Like a fabled hero, his statewide popularity burgeons, particularly amongst his state’s youth. When an unexpected†¦show more content†¦In so doing, Smith stumbles into the movie’s central struggle. While directly Capra’s film powerfully illustrates Smith’s own intense confrontation with a seemingly omnipotent political machine; his ultimate victory is a condemnation of all industrial greed as well as a reaffirmation of the power of the citizen to make an impact in a government that through all its shortcomings is still democracy. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Capra’s film is dramatically enhanced by its patriotic representation of our National’s capitol, with particular emphasis on the splendor of the Capitol and strength of the Lincoln Memorial. These images are constant visual reminders of the freedom and strength of personal choice provided by our government. The film’s score composed of traditional renditions of patriotic melodies including â€Å"Yankee Doodle† and † Auld Lang Syne† only reinforces these sentiments. Capra’s most dramatic use of setting is the reconstruction of the Senate chamber, the site for the film’s most climactic and inspiring scene. Unwilling to allow the Senate to vote on his expulsion and empowered with the goal of uncovering the Willet Dam Project as fraud, Smith skillfully filibusters the Senate in hopes that his state’s populace will come to his support. Despite Taylor’s ruthless propaganda, Smith’sShow MoreR elatedEssay about Film Review: Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1887 Words   |  8 Pages In Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a naà ¯ve Jefferson Smith sets off for Washington D.C. as a United States Senator, where he learns that politics is not as transparent as it may seem. Released in 1939, one of the most successful years for film, Mr. Smith became a smash hit, easily becoming the second largest blockbuster of that year. However, 1939 was also the year World War II had started, and coupled with the war’s association with the Great Depression, the hit film was bound toRead MoreJulius Caesar Essay1011 Words   |  5 PagesGlover’s Sydney Morning Herald article ‘Take a Moment to Mourn the Mainstream’, debating against the depreciation of the respect over radio stations between generations, and Frank Capra’s classic film ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’, which expresses the triumph of American ideals through the conflicting morals of Senator Jefferson Smith and Joseph Paine. In each we see how the respectiv e composers have used main protagonists as well as various literary and cinematic devices to express the theme of conflictingRead MoreMr. Smith Goes : Washington Analysis1180 Words   |  5 PagesMr. Smith Goes to Washington Analysis In Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a modern David and Goliath story of a man taking on a system way more powerful than himself is evident in its themes of patriotism and standing up in the face of injustice. James Stewart’s portrayal of a naà ¯ve and patriotic junior senator serves as a vehicle with which Capra exposed a side of American politics that previously had been beyond the eyes of the everyman. With the help of incredible supporting actorsRead MoreThe Grain of the Voice1312 Words   |  5 Pagesscreens. James Stewart: Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939) In the early 1930s, many prominent stars with very recognizable voices surface in Hollywood, and one among these rising stars was James Stewart, whom was said to be made famous by Capra’s Mr Smith Goes to Washington. In Capra’s film, Stewart plays the character of Jefferson Smith, a kind-hearted and naà ¯ve young senator who finds himself trapped in the webs of dirty politics. As the story gradually unfolds, Smith finds his strengthRead MoreFrank Capra1544 Words   |  7 PagesFrank Capra Have you ever heard about the great filmmaker Francesco Rosario Capra? Perhaps you’ve heard of his 1946 film â€Å"It’s a Wonderful Life† (Laurie Boeder)? Or his 1941 film â€Å"Meet John Doe† (Laurie Boeder)? These two are just a few films of his great work. Capra was a unique filmmaker. He struggled to keep his dream alive and managed to become one of the most successful filmmakers ever. Frank Capra was born on â€Å"May 18, 1897 in Bisacquino, Sicily. On May 10, 1903, his family left for AmericaRead More Destry Rides Again, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and the Fall of the Hollywood Studio System3533 Words   |  15 PagesRides Again, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and the Fall of the Hollywood Studio System Thomas Schatz cites the 1950’s as the inevitable end of the Hollywood film studio system, with the signs appearing as early as the height of the second World War (472). However, the seeds of discontent and disintegration within the system were apparent as soon as the late 1930’s, exemplified in such films as Destry Rides Again (1939, George Marshall) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939, Frank Capra). TheRead MoreThe Power Of Big Business1183 Words   |  5 Pagescourse of the year (PBS; 2007). During this turmoil and chaos abroad, the United States clings to its principles of freedom and democracy, described in Roosevelt’s 1939 State of the Union (â€Å"Franklin Delano Roosevelt†). So when the film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, criticizes the very governmental foundations the country so desperately clings to, the film is not met with enthusiasm but rather controversy. The movie criticizes the power of big business and its influence on public opinion, insinuatingRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pagespercent of all box-office receipts. The Hollywood Studio System =========================== MGM --- * Known For: glitz and glamour * In Charge: Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg * Directors: George Cukor, Frank Borzage * Actresses: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow * Actors: Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, William Powell, Walter Pidgeon, Melvyn Douglas, Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, James