Director
Frank Capra
Leading Actors/Actresses
James Stewart, Jean Arthur
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell
Genre
Political Dramedy
Language
English
Awards
The film was also nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Stewart), Best Screenplay, Best Original Story (which it won), two Best Supporting Actor nominations (for Claude Rains and Harry Carey), Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Music (Score), and Best Sound Recording.
Date of Release
October 19, 1939
Producer
Frank Capra
Setting and Context
Washington D.C. in the 1930s
Narrator and Point of View
No narrator.
Tone and Mood
Fun, Screwball, Dramatic, Political, Fast-paced, Heartwarming, Heart-wrenching
Protagonist and Antagonist
Senator Smith vs. Corrupt Washington (Jim Taylor and Senator Paine)
Major Conflict
The conflict between newly appointed Senator Smith and the corrupt establishment in Washington D.C., specifically Senator Paine as he is being manipulated by Jim Taylor.
Climax
The climax occurs when Smith collapses and Paine reveals the truth.
Foreshadowing
After the president of the Senate swears the senator in, he says to Smith "Senator, you can talk all you want to now." This foreshadows the fact that Smith will use a filibuster to talk a great deal later in the film.
Understatement
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
Allusions to politics, history, literature, the Bible, popular culture, mythology, other movies, sports, economics, and other organizations.
Paradox
Parallelism
Paine and Smith are parallels for one another, one who makes compromises and the other who stands up for his ideals.
