I am not sure if I stand alone with this perspective, but I was a bit confused by the ending of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” I am not referring to Capra’s intentional ambiguity regarding the question of whether corrupt power or the common man essentially “wins” in the end, but rather Senator Paine’s role in determining the outcome of the movie. Paine only admits his false accusations against Jeff because of his desire to clear his conscious, but I am having difficulty understanding the significance behind his actions or if there is any significance at all. I understand why Capra would not want the truth revealed through any effort of the common man, as this would paint the common man as victorious. Similarly, it makes sense that the film did not end with the prosecution of Jeff, as this would mean that corrupt democracy prevailed. But, were Senator Paine’s actions simply chosen as a middle ground option to ensure there was no definite victor, or is there more symbolism involved?
I decided to explore this question by looking at the opinions of others online. To my surprise, I did not come across a substantial amount of discussion over Paine’s actions, as most chose to focus solely on the ambiguity of the battle between the corrupt and the common man and the emphasis Capra put on ensuring the audience left in positive spirits. I decided to provide my interpretation of Paine’s confession and would be interested to hear others’ opinions as well:
During our post-film discussion, we had reviewed the notion that anyone who goes to Washington is having his/her ideals tested. We saw Jeff go to Washington with a positive spirit and a firm belief in the ideals the country was founded upon. Unlike Jeff, Paine has fell subject to the corruption and has adopted the zeal for power over the common man that the rest of the government supports. However, as we discussed in class, Paine essentially restores the old version of himself when he admits his wrong-doings. He is in a sense leaving his corrupt ideals behind, empathizing with the common man, and ensuring justice is served — actions that would have made Jeff’s father proud. In a way, his actions show that the damage the capital has done to him is not permanent and can be reversed if he is simply reminded of morality and justice. Through Paine, Capra may have intended to provide a sense of hope that those who are corrupt may not be corrupt forever and that there is still a chance for true democracy to be restored.
Nevertheless, I still do not have a definite opinion of who truly wins at the end of the movie. I do think, however, that Paine’s actions have more meaning beneath the surface.
Sources:
https://moviesovermatter.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.jpg
http://prospect.org/article/mr-smith-goes-washington-shows-why-we-cant-have-nice-things
http://www.joylesscreatures.com/uploads/2/4/0/6/24065305/8688408_orig.jpg