Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Movie: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939; 129 min

Director: Frank Capra

Actors: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Harry Carey, Claude Rains

Summary:

Jefferson Smith, head of the Boy Rangers, is made senator of his state. His first time in the nation’s capital as a member of Congress, Smith attempts to make a boys camp and soon finds himself wrapped in the corruption of a political boss.

Question 1: What purpose does the montage sequence of Mr. Smith’s journey through the capital play in telling the story and exhibiting his personality?

            When Mr. Smith travels to Washington DC for the first time, he has the title of a senator but with the curiousity of a tourist. Even though Mr. Smith has such a high title in government, he still rides the bus and tours the Washington museums and monuments. The scenes are overlapping, in a montage-type sequence to show the capital through his eyes, which are taking in everything he sees. He admires the Declaration of Independence and statues of John Hancock and Samuel Adams. As he admires these significant parts of American history, the liberty bell rings in the background and the scenes are overlapped with a video of the bell ringing. Mr. Smith is also drawn in to the Lincoln Memorial, showing his respect for his country. This montage sequence sets up the story by showing that Mr. Smith is new to Washington and the government. Also, it shows that Mr. Smith is very curious and he enjoys exploring new places.

Question 2: What is the significance of Mr. Smith’s hat? And tell specific scenes/shots where the hat is the main focus.

            Mr. Smith wears a hat for a majority of the film. His hat, in a way, shows the audience how he is feeling at certain times throughout the film. For example, when Mr. Smith is talking to ­­­Susan Payne, he fumbles with his hat, showing he is nervous. During their conversation, the only thing in the shot is Smith’s hand holding his hat as their conversation goes on without seeing their faces. He drops his hat numerous times during the conversation and constantly moves it around when it is at his side. This interaction with his hat shows the audience how he feels around beautiful girls and becomes nervous when dropping his hat everywhere, without directly showing Smith’s face to show his emotion. In addition, when Smith wears his hat, it seems to give him a sense of security. When he wears it when with other politicians, he appears to be more calm and collected compared to when he is not wearing his hat. Smith also takes off his hat to show respect to others. This action indirectly tells the audience who Smith respects and who the audience should also respect.