The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) American Blu-ray Edition Cover
Mr. Smith to Washington/Long Live Democracy Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) epitomizes what America is, what the American spirit is, and it has the confidence and almost naïve courage of Hollywood's golden age.
It speaks of liberal democracy and individual struggle, and together with Young Lincoln Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), Twelve Angry Men (1957), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), and the American drama Boston Legal (2004), it constitutes an endless history of struggle in American film and television.
The film was also selected as a collection by the National Film Preservation Agency for its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic" value.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. During the filming of Smith Goes to Washington (1939), director Frank Capr (right), James Stewart (left) and Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (center).
Ranked 26th in the 2007 Film Institute of America's "100 Best American Films of the 100th Year by the Association (10th Anniversary Edition)". Ranked #5 on the Association's 2006 list of the "100 Most Inspiring Films in Film History".
First of all, a digression, the great 1939, film history ushered in the famous "Gone with the Wind/ Gone with the Wind", that year "Gone with the Wind" was highly loved at the Oscars, winning 7 small gold men.
In the movie "Guan Shan FeiDu/Stagecoach" (1939), the cool john Wayne
In 1939, at the age of 12, the Oscars took a hard look at it, using the nomination list to tell us what was the golden age and what was the Oscar standard.
Ten Oscar nominations for Best Picture, "Gone with the Wind," "Wuthering Heights," "Wizard of Oz Wizard of Oz," "Guanshan Flyover/Stagecoach," "Between Man and Mouse/Man and Mouse Of Mice and Men," "Ninochka/Ice Beauty/Exotic Mandarin Duck Ninotchka," "Mr. Smith to Washington," "Love Affair," Goodbye Mr. Chips, Dark Victory.
In the film Wuthering Heights (1939), Lawrence Oliver Laurence Olivier performed brilliantly
From the perspective of a historical reviewer, among the ten nominated films are "Gone with the Wind", "The Wizard of Oz", "Guan Shan Feidu", "Ninochka", "Mr. Smith to Washington", as well as the love literary masterpiece "Love Incident", the literary film "Wuthering Heights" with literary temperament, and "Between Man and Mouse", "Man and Mouse", "Master of All Ages" and "Qing He Thin Life" that involve society, duties and life.
Frank Capr (1897-1991) was a master storyteller.
The film is witty and humorous from the beginning, paired with the cute expression of James Stewart (1908-1997), which is very impressive.
In the movie Ninochika/ Ice Beauty/Exotic Mandarin Duck Ninotchka (1939), a sentence "Garbo laughs" makes thousands of love beans crazy
And the display of the role of James Stewart can be described as vivid. The film portrays the upright personality in the bones of the protagonist, the admiration of the Statue of Lincoln, and the pursuit of justice and freedom that make people feel a sense of awe.
From the eyes of James Stewart you can see a child's desire and pursuit of dreams, whether you are chasing dreams, or have long been awakened and do not believe in fairy tales, such a pair of naked eyes will make you feel moved from the bottom of your heart, and the corners of your eyes will be wet with tears unconsciously.
James Stewart and director Frank Capra have collaborated many times, and almost all of Frank Capra's most influential films have been starring in him.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), James Stewart's admiration of the Statue of Lincoln
The characters are mostly young people with integrity and kindness. The positive images he created were so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, coupled with his easy-going personality, that he was known as "Mr. Good" in Hollywood. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film.
"Mr. Smith to Washington" also received eight other Oscar nominations that year, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Art Direction, and Best Sound.
From a viewing point of view, the stage performances of actors in early Hollywood films are heavier. Specific performance, that is, the audience will feel that the actor is a bit of a tone. But this does not affect the artistic value of this film and its position in film history.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), James Stewart
Mr. Smith goes to Washington is a drama comedy. A senator dies, and in order to fill the vacancy, the corrupt state government finds a hot-blooded young man who doesn't understand politics, Mr. Smith (James Stewart), to fill the void.
Politicians and those behind the scenes see him as a silly rookie who won't get involved in politics and won't affect their dam proposals. At the suggestion of a member of parliament from the same continent, Mr. Smith submitted a new proposal, but this proposal conflicted with the dam proposal.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Smith, with the help of his female secretary Sanders (Played by Gene Arthur), he learns the truth and decides to stop them, and he does not give in to the coercion of other lawmakers and the boss behind the scenes.
So the evil senators created a hoax that made people think that Mr. Smith was a man who made his own profit. Discouraged, he decides to leave Washington, but dissuaded by his female secretary, he challenges the evil senators with a democratic system. The next day, when he got the say, he clung to it and wouldn't give up unless he proved his innocence.
Outside congress, Boy Scout newspapers fought with those behind the scenes. Twenty-four hours passed, and when Mr. Smith was about to fail, the senators of the same continent found themselves in their conscience and confessed what they had done, and Mr. Smith won the final victory. The film ends with a happy ending.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), James Stewart and Jean Arthur Jean Arthur
The film focuses on a big capitalist covering the sky with one hand, a senator who only promises to keep his job and turn a blind eye to a stable life, and a U.S. Congress full of power struggles and a miasma of smoke, where "the real level is the celebrant and foreign guests who are still children." On the surface, American politics seems to have become incorrigible,
Democratic politics has completely degenerated, but there is still something that has been passed down from the great Founding Fathers of the United States and those legislators, in addition to the gradually forgotten "of the people, by the people, for the people" and other american spirits of the founding of the country and the pursuit of independence and freedom in the Declaration of Independence and the Us Constitution, director Frank Capra deliberately expresses the process of American politics and judicial implementation." Procedural Justice": As long as the senator has the freedom to speak in defense and appeal in accordance with the legal process, he can continue to speak in Congress, even if he continues to speak in Congress for more than twenty hours, as Mr. Smith did in the movie, in order to gain the support of the people from his hometown, until he finally faints.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), James Stewart's "Battle of Time" speech in court
It is because of the support of procedural justice that the dramatic reversal occurs at the end of the film.
Films that embody the spirit of politics and law by capturing the shining points in American politics and justice, in addition to "Mr. Smith to Washington", there is also "Twelve Angry Men" starring Henry Fonda (1905-1982) in 1957, who tells the story of how court juror Henry Fonda won justice for a boy through "reasonable doubt" in American justice, which is called the sister story of the film.
In revealing the delicate relationship between American politics and the media, the film is also very well handled.
In the movie Twelve Angry Men 12 Angry Men (1957), the answer is sought among people who are liars who can deceive even themselves
The Washington media feeds on the news of politics, and their close relationship with the political arena gives them insight into the ugliness of politics and the vulgarity of politicians, so journalists often take a sarcastic attitude toward politicians, and Mr. Smith was ridiculed by the media when he first came to Washington as a mediocre politician.
At the same time, politicians are also inseparable from the media, any of their proposals and proposals must be through the media to be known to the public, the attitude and reporting tendencies of the media directly affect the support of the masses.
There is indeed no shortage of good journalists in the media who adhere to Western journalistic ethics, and they strive to deliver the news objectively and truthfully, like the CBS announcer who appears several times in this film.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), mocking Mr. Smith through reports from different newspapers
But politics and the media have a common master, and in this film it is the big capitalist John Taylor (Edward Arnold), whether it is political ideals or the professional ethics of journalism, which ultimately has to remain silent under the suppression of power, and the only disobedience is that Don Quixote, our hero Mr. Smith.
In fact, by the climax of congress in the film, Smith and John Taylor's main battle is over the control of the media. The film's wonderful picture of the contention for media is reminiscent of George Clooney's Good Night, Good Night, and Good Luck( 2005), except that the latter is the truth and justice embodied in the final media, whereas in Mr. Smith to Washington, the media is a complete failure.
Good Night, Good Luck Movie(2005)
The film presents the real state of democracy and American politics through comedy. The film shows one side of American democracy, such as the "right to speak", as long as it is obtained, it can continue to speak until death.
Although this provision may seem rather absurd, it reflects the humane and rational aspect of the American political system. The male protagonist in the film uses this right to gain everyone's support and win the battle.
Of course, the parliament in the film also has a dark side, and the choreographer uses this collision of ideals and reality, strong contradictions and conflicts, to advance the plot. Through the confrontation between good and evil, all aspects of American politics are presented.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939).
In fact, this film is very idealistic, and the choreographer weaves a beautiful dream through the film. Corruption is everywhere in American politics, and the U.S. government is by no means perfect and incorruptible; this is a very real problem, and it is also a difficult problem to solve, let alone a young man who can fight alone.
In the film, Mr. Smith's actions to challenge the corrupt forces can only appear in the film. In addition, the final ending of the movie is also in line with the public's view - evil is not good. Too idealistic plot, can only make us happy when watching the movie, can not change the status quo of society.
The film is still a lot of laughter, bringing joy and bringing people a positive spirit. Most of the jokes are focused on Mr. Smith, who came to Washington as the saying goes, "mountain cannons into town", with a strong curiosity about anything, and the setting is full of joy.
Like a countryman, he made the female secretary Sanders very helpless, and he was extremely funny. The dialogue between Mr. Smith and the female secretary is also full of laughter, simple words, simple language can make us feel the difference between the two people, but also feel the psychological changes between the two people, until the end of the strong love.
The lines in this movie are perfect, and there are many that are worth remembering. At the end of the film, Mr. Smith's monologue is even more vocal and very emotional. In addition, the portrayal of the feelings between Mr. Smith and the female secretary is delicate and romantic.
The screenplay of this film can be described as extremely outstanding, not only deep and sharp, but also not boring, with some comedic overtones in seriousness, and beautiful love embellishment in anger. And the film also fully demonstrates Frank Capra's skill and sophistication as a director in storytelling.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Claude Rains by Claude Rains
On the other hand, Frank Capra also put a lot of thought into the portrayal of the character, Mr. Smith needless to say, the evolution of the heroine Sanders' heart, and the ugliness but always can not escape the contemplation of the congressman Harrison Pan (played by Claude Raines), as well as the goodness and ugliness of the characters at all levels of society are perfectly presented under the lens of Frank Capra, where he is like a peeping mirror, taking us to see the beauty and ugliness of the world.
About this film, it has to be mentioned that the performance of the stars and the moon and all shine, James Stewart perfectly interprets this heroic and somewhat rustic role, under his interpretation, a hero is no longer the so-called tall and complete, but an honest young man with his own beliefs and many small shortcomings.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Stills from Smith Goes to Washington (1939), James Stewart (right) confronts Claude Rains (second from left)
At the beginning of the film, Mu Ne, the reverence of looking up, the denunciation of corruption, so that the final hoarseness makes the layers portrayed by him clearly, and it is a pity to pass by the emperor of the film. The clowns in the film are also extremely good, not only not facial, but also can make people think more through their respective performances. Like Harrison Penn, a congressman who was once and now compromised with justice, Claude Rains (1889-1967) applauded his inner struggle.
Mr. Smith to Washington was another collaboration between James Stewart and Jean Arthur (1900-1991) in frank capra's work after You Can't Take It with You (1938).
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
Actress Gene Arthur is also impressive. Her character is beautiful, intelligent, wise, kind, compassionate, and passionate. Gene Arthur was born in 1900 and was exactly 39 years old in 1939. On the screen, her temperament is elegant, her appearance is good, coupled with her unique voice and way of speaking, completely fascinate the audience!
Gene Arthur was once called "my favorite actress" by Frank Capra, with smart eyes and thick blond hair, a beautiful face and an intellectual temperament. She interprets many of Frank Capra's works, mostly intelligent white-collar women, of which Sanders is a favorite character. The resourceful female secretary led Smith through the lows and used her wits to help him stand in the chamber again.
James Stewart and Jean Arthur were off-set for the film Mr. Smith to Washington. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) for promotional photos
Frank Capra is such a thing, even if the reality is revealed, even if the main tone is dark, he will bring us an unforgettable warmth at the end. And his spirit is pinned on him in one by one protagonists with noble character.
Watching the hysteria of James Stewart at the end, the pain and shock in his heart kept rolling. Perhaps, as the saying goes, I will die even if I die of my own beliefs, loyal to my own beliefs, fighting against the ugly world to the moment I fall.
Mr. Smith's victory was not in that fairytale ending, but in his sincerity and persistence to impress those who had originally laughed at him, who eventually began to listen to what he had to say.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. On the set of Smith Goes to Washington (1939), director Frank Capr (second from right) sits under camera watching James Stewart (left) and Jean Arthur (second from left) perform
One person's persistence may not shake this huge machine, but as long as someone listens and thinks with their heart, there is a ray of hope. Overall, it's a really great movie.
In 1939, when the film was first released, it was strongly opposed by Washington officials for its revelations of collusion between consortiums and politicians for their own benefit.
James Stewart in the film Mr. Smith to Washington. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) read the script on set
Frank Capra mentions in his autobiography that one day he and Colombian boss Harry Cohn (1891-1958) received a telegram from Joseph Kennedy, then U.S. ambassador to Britain, asking for the film's distribution to be suspended in Europe, on the grounds that "it would affect the reputation of the United States in Europe." Frank Capra and Harry Cowan mailed some positive comments on the film to Joseph Kennedy in response, and Joseph Kennedy ultimately did not pursue the matter.
Promotional photo for the film "Blood Fireworks/Dys Rides Again" (1939), James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich by Mary Dedley
James Stewart was also very "busy" in 1939, releasing four films in a year: The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939) in March, It's a Wonderful World in May, Mr. Smith to Washington in October, and Destiny Rides Again in December (1939).
It was during the filming of "Blood Fireworks" that James Stewart impregnated the film's female lead actress Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), and Marlene Dietrich's daughter described it in her mother's autobiography: Marlene Dietrich, who hoped to have a statement, finally faced the back of James Stewart "without a word, turning away".
In 1936, James Stewart and Chinpi Rogers Ginger Rogers
Looking at the love history of James Stewart in his youth, it was really honest in Hollywood at that time, after all, a first-line male star like him was either full of emotions or happy everywhere.
James Stewart had fallen in love with old friend and co-actress Margaret Sullavan (1909-1960), but Margaret Sullivan married his old friend Henry Fonda, and after the divorce, he repeatedly remarried.
In 1941, James Stewart and Olivia de Havilland Olivia de Havilland
The unmarried James Stewart had three girlfriends in 1934, 1938 and 1939, namely Henry Fonda and divorced Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), who was also the same empress of the Oscars, 8 years older than him, and her husband had just died, and marlene Dedrey, a 7-year-old actress who was 7 years old and had been separated from her husband for many years, but soon came to fruition. The other party is a woman who has been in constant affair all her life.
In the early 1940s, after dating the unmarried Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), James Stewart never followed since he joined the army.
The movie "Mr. Smith to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) American version poster
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