Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

A delightful movie. Jimmy Stewart was really up and coming at the time this was made. His acting is great. Jean Arthur was great as well. The scenes of Washington, DC, have not changed that much. The concerns of the time have not changed that much either.

My first inclination was to complain that this DVD is like way overpriced and has not come down in price in some time. Yes, it is a truly great movie, and the DVD has some extra goodies, but there is no reason why it still should be way over $20 in price. That being said, there are few films that might be worth it and this is one of them. It still captures the essence of what being an American is--or what it should be. The lone man voicing his ideas against the machine, reminding us of what sanity is, of what priorities should be. At no time in American history is such a voice needed more than now: we want to send nearly $100 Billion to our enemy while people here will starve today. If that isn't the "Taylor machine" I don't know what is. This film speaks to the real war on terror--the grip that power and greed have on this country at any given time. In movies, especially Frank Capra movies, it all comes out ok in the end, even though many of his films have a suicidal crisis in them at some point. Meet John Doe, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It's a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith all have a suicide that nearly happens. Why would that be,in the films of Frank Capra, considered the "feel good" director of all time? Because at some point life can become not worth living when all of its better values have been perverted, when it seems hopeless and that there is no way out of the madness,when one cannot bear all the tension and contradiction.(Gee, sorry for such a downer review). It might have something to do with the fact that the country was in the "Great Depression", economically and psychologically in the group sense, and that things really were pretty bleak. In Capra films, the response to despair is hope (that the badness will relent) and kindness (the kindness of others towards the unfortunate). And maybe that is the answer for our time as well. Where will we find it? Anyway, all this malarkey aside, Mr. Smith is a great movie, full of laughs, drama, and telling satire, a landmark performance by Jimmy Stewart, and well supported by a great cast all around--Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Jean Arthur, Harry Carey, Edward Arnold. One of the most enjoyable films you will ever see and worth the high price you will pay for the DVD. And now, my filibuster ends. ADDENDUM/March 2009--looks like the price has finally come down to earth--along with the rest of the economy!!! Buy this film now, it might save you from total disillusionment in the system!!! If we needed Mr. Smith badly when I first wrote this, we surely need it now!!!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a timeless, brilliant parable of Good Vs. Evil, played out in the U.S. Senate. Good is represented by Jimmy Stewart, in the film he SHOULD have won an Oscar for (MGM, trying to bolster 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' at the box office, influenced it's Academy members to award Robert Donat with the statue; the following year, Stewart appeared in 'The Philadelphia Story', for MGM, and won Best Actor!). He is magnificent as Jefferson Smith, an idealistic youth leader, who is offered up as an innocent and gullible replacement for a Senate vacancy. Evil is personified by Claude Rains, as the suave and corrupt senior Senator, and Edward Arnold, brilliant as a ruthless party boss. In many ways, 'Smith' is cut from the same cloth as Capra's earlier masterpiece, 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town', and both films costar the radiant Jean Arthur, here cast as Smith's secretary. She is an old hand at understanding political wheelings and dealings, and at first, she considers her new boss a total idiot! But Smith's integrity wins her over, and with the help of reporter Thomas Mitchell (1939's busiest actor!), the three manage to outlast the forces of Evil, in the most rousing filabuster Hollywood has ever filmed! Two supporting characters deserve special attention; Harry Carey, one of Hollywood's most beloved Western stars, plays a warm, sympathetic Vice President, in a small but very crucial role; and Beulah Bondi is terrific as Stewart's mother (she would play his mother again in the Capra/Stewart classic 'It's A Wonderful Life'). The new DVD edition offers the insights of Frank Capra, Jr., son of the legendary filmmaker, as well as trailers, vintage material, and a whole lot more! If you've seen 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' before, treat yourself with this lavish new edition! If you haven't seen it, you are in for one of the most wonderful cinema experiences you'll ever have, from the best year Hollywood ever had! Simply put, this film is a masterpiece!

Very impress with the packaging the DVD was protected. The package came all the way from California in perfect condition. I would give it a 10 Star if possible. The Movie picture was clear and bright. James Stewart is my favorite actor. All the actors in the movie were great. Be nice to have more old time movies for entertainment.

Good product and quick delivery thanks

Un grand classique qui vieillit bien!

Good

Tenía mucho que quería esta película y al fin logre conseguirla, llego rápido y en perfecto estado, altamente recomendada es una verdadera joya e indispensable en la colección de cualquier amante del cine.

The special 'book' edition of the blu ray isn't cheap but surely it would be almost perfect? Worth every penny? Well,not really.The film,as we know,is top class. However,the restoration is not as wonderful as I was expecting. The picture quality varies from very good to okay but that's explained in the booklet. The sound is clear but the volume is set so very low you'll have to crank it up. All in all, considering the price,it's not a big enough step up from the dvd. 5 stars for the film, 4 for the blu ray.