I find one reason that people have trouble watching old black-and-white films is because they feel so out of touch with modern society. And, sure, I think that’s a fair point. A movie like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington came out 80 years ago, and so naturally our culture now is different than culture back then. It’s natural to feel a disconnect when people in these movies don’t talk or dress or act like they do now. However, if this is a barrier for you with older movies, then I can assure you that this shouldn’t be a problem for you with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Some of the smaller idiosyncrasies might feel out of touch, but the larger message in the movie as a whole will still feel relevant and powerful for people today.

The main theme of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is government corruption, which many people still feel is a problem today. In fact, with how “new” some of those problems feel sometimes, it’s actually harder to believe that people had the same view on politics this far back. The movie centers around a man named Jefferson Smith, a young boy scout type. Mr. Smith has never been involved in politics, and yet this makes him the perfect candidate for the new empty position in the U.S. Senate, since those involved want someone agreeable who doesn’t know what they’re doing in order to be able to push their own sinister agendas forward. However, this ends up backfiring on them, as Smith sincerely wants to make the country a better place, and so this involves pushing forth ideas that are counter to what the other senators want. The central conflict of the movie centers around this, as Mr. Smith fights corruption in order to make his country a better place.

Like I said, this movie features problems that still feel relevant today, and so I found it to be a pretty easy watch in that regard. A lot of people have the feeling that politicians are corrupt liars, and so when we see a protagonist like Mr. Smith, we really root for him, because he’s the kind of man that we want in the government. I’ll be honest, I think Mr. Smith himself is definitely the best part of the movie, as he gives audiences a character to latch onto and root for. His stark contrast to those around him is what gives the movie such heart, and so I think audiences are likely to adore him.

The movie is a little slow to start, so I do have to warn against that for anyone that does decide to watch the movie. In the first 5-10 minutes, I was bored and was worried that I wasn’t going to like the movie. However, once Mr. Smith is introduced, I found the movie a lot more enjoyable. It’s great to see his interactions with the people in Washington, and so when he comes into the fold things get a lot more enjoyable. Then, the last 30-45 minutes of the movie are nothing short of a masterpiece. If you’ve heard anything about this movie, you probably heard about Mr. Smith’s infamous speech, and it surely is one that doesn’t disappoint. I felt so much tension and passion during the film’s final act, and it’s likely to evoke the same emotions in others as well. I think that this is still a really poignant movie, so I think that if you can get past the slow beginning, there’s a lot to enjoy in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington even today.

4.5/5