I mentioned before on this blog that Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has been running on the premium cable channels and I watched pieces of it again this morning.
As I said before, allusions to the story of Christ pervade the drama, some more explicit than others. I cannot list them all nor do I want to try. I encourage you to watch the movie yourself.
But, for as many times as I have seen the movie, Smith as a type of Christ became apparent to me today like never before. In two explicit ways. First, the most striking allusion to the story of Christ is when Smith faints after reading the negative telegrams and after making one more passionate plea with his Judas -- or is he Peter? -- his betrayer, Senator Paine. In Smith's fainting is visible a symbol of Christ's death, attended by Saunders as a type of Mary (Magdalene?) and Diz as a type of John and, upon seeing the total sacrifice of Smith for the truth, Paine is enabled to make his full confession of guilt. That's grace, that's the outpouring of grace upon humanity, effected by Christ's death, that enables the hard-core compromiser like Paine to confess and repent and vindicate Smith.
The second is more subtle but Stewart, a good Presbyterian, carries it out with grace and charm. When Paine or Saunders give him what for, he stands there and takes it. He listens but gives no indication that their words will change his course.
It really is a very good movie, from a religious and patriotic perspective. I can't recommend it enough.
4 comments:
"He listens but gives no indication that their words will change his course."
That does sound like a good Presbyterian! :-)
Yeah, I hope that you saw the original post and know the movie.
In those scenes when people are telling Smith "how things are", Stewart's physical disposition reminds me of Christ before Pilate (Matt. 27:14; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9). John's account is mentioned explicitly earlier in the movie by Diz, "'What is truth?' suggesting Pilate and would not stay for an answer." (John 18:38).
At first, I wondered whether Stewart just wasn't a good actor yet, in those scenes where he just stands still. But, no, it's great acting on Stewart's part (or maybe great direction). Smith is intently active in his motionless resolve.
My favorite scene is Smith's reading of 1 Cor. 13:4c,13 from the King James, because no one is paying attention, either absent or asleep, and Smith's voice is gone, reduced to a whisper from the filibuster. The text becomes a prayer, to stay the course, the scene is his Gethsemane.
I saw the movie a long time ago before I was a Christian. I should watch it again.
OK. . .I'm sold. I need to see this movie. I'll come back and tell you what I think after I see it.
I will warn you, though, I am not much of a movie watcher and I've got some very busy days ahead of me so movie watching might be a little hard to fit in in the very near future. But I won't forget!
Thanks for the recommendation! : )
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