MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936) **1/2 Great Depression farmer's concept of what a good capitalist would look like, and prayer that he exists. Of course the farmer would understand that the exotic creature would have to somehow luck into money in mid-life, he couldn't have been ruined by it from birth, and he couldn't have had to pack his conscience and self-respect wherever those who slither their way up through the system do. The farmer, whose conception is projected through the filter of Frank Capra, which makes everything always turn out wonderful (a trait that I like, personally), also apparently has little idea of how things really work in the big city. He would have us believe that Gary Cooper, smart enough to evade the lawyers, wouldn't be able to finger whoever is selling him out-when he's only divulging information to Jean Arthur! Also his numerous street-wise flunkies are baffled by the same thing...hmmm. The half-completed dangling metaphor of cars going up the hill...not mentioning the growing socialist movement among already disappearing farmers but describing nothing better or more intentionally...is more effective, particularly for what it lets you figure out on your own. If there's a farmer's political movement gaining power and momentum you can be sure that farmer's ain't going to be running it long. All of which is too hopeless for Capra to linger on, and good for him. Those familiar with courtrooms are too jaded to believe that virtually anything is impossible....the modifier "virtually," however, precludes the sort of thing that allows the hero to prevail at the end. So it's a fairy tale, really. What's wrong with fairy tales? Inherently, nothing. What's wrong with a system necessitating them in order to produce a happy ending for those of honesty and integrity?
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