John Ford and Frank Capra: A Study of Their Movies”A great man and a great American, Frank Capra is an inspiration to those whobelieve in the American dream” John Ford”The megaphone has been to John Ford what the chisel was toMichelangelo…..Ford Cannot be pinned down or analyzed. He is pure Ford–Whichmeans pure great” Frank CapraFrank Capra and John Ford have directed many classic movies and it isunfair to only view two of their works and summarize all there is too say abouttheir styles, so I won’t. Instead, I will be discussing different styles andconventions that Frank Capra and John Ford used in the four movies I viewed.
These movies are Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Mr Deeds goes to Town bothCapra, films and The Informer and Grapes of Wrath by Ford. America in the 30’s was a time of hardship economically, politically andsocially. If you have taken an American history course you know all about thedepression and the crisis that it bestowed upon the land. Hollywood, the moviemaking capital of the world tried its best not to reflect the problems of thecountry in its products. Instead of the grim realities of world, Hollywood luredin the audience with escapist movies. The classic thirties genres like screwballcomedies, glamourous musicals and fantasy movies, were mere ploys to divert thesad reality of the time and in doing so Hollywood firmly defined its role asentertainer not critic.
Capra and Ford can also be accused of following thispattern too, with other movies they made. The 30’s were also a time of the greatstudio system and one had to work under the control of these institutions,although both directors managed to achieve enough fame and power that they couldcreate their own visions. With this power and fame, Capra and Ford were able toturn out movies that went against the usual Hollywood style; critical of society,authority, government, newspapers, the police and political rebels. These menwhere able to make movies about the injustice in the world and they createdsimple folk yet(much like Forrest Gump in Capra’s case) complex enough to dealand in some cases win against the evils of the world. Although they deal withsimilar topics and understands about society and man, they have different waysof delivering their message. Capra used humor, fantasy, splendor, and a quickmoving camera. Ford on the other hand used gritty realism, harsh environments,and a static camera, with slower cuts and movements. They both can be consideredanti-establishment directors, but I would say that their movies go beyond simpleanti-establishment attitudes and actually try to and establish a new morerighteous establishment. Ford and Capra believed so much in America that duringher time of great crisis in WWII, they left Hollywood and all the money to workfor the U.S. Forces. Ford became an Admiral in the U.S. Navy and Capra aColonel for the Army.
Of the four movies by Capra and Ford, The Informer is the only one thatwas not a box-office smash at its time of release, however all four movies carrythe prestigious titles of being called some of the greatest films of all time.
All these films can be enjoyed on a simplistic entertainment level, but there isso much hidden between the texts that makes them great, therefore they wereobviously made for more than just enjoyment.
There are strong issues being dealt with about man and his relationshipwithin the society he lives in. From the most basic problems about individualssuffering from lack of shelter and starvation to mass starvation and politicalcorruption. There also seem to be the tone in Capra’s and Ford’s movies that manwas doing fine until society interfered with him, not just society in generalbut more city society. There is a feeling that city people are corrupt andinfect all that they touch, while the simple country folk are pure and good.
This point is proven over and over again, it is not the individual that iscorrupt it is the society that corrupts the individual. Deeds and Smith bothfrom there respective self titled movies are happy and fine living quietsheltered lives in their small town. As soon as city society comes knocking ontheir door trouble begins. Whereas when we meet Fonda in Grapes of Wrath,society has already beaten him down and now he must rise again or perish. Gypotoo in The Informer has been defeated by society and he too must rise or perish.
So as Capra’s hero’s are virginal, Ford’s have already been around the block afew times but insist that they are still virgins.
The character’s in Ford and Capra’s movies are microcosms for all thatis happening and these movies are mainly character centered and driven so it isa fair way in dealing with their idea’s. Capra’s characters are modeled on thebelief that one man can make a difference and help society, while Ford’scharacters are almost incapable of helping themselves. (although Fonda in Grapesof Wrath speaks of wandering the earth to bring truth and justice to the world,)Fonda will only effect small minorities of people, while Capra’s characterschange the world. Yet both styles of character are modeled on the simple andcommon folk. They are naive to the world and as the movie progresses, they andwe, the audience learns how corrupt the world is, but whereas Capra gives youthe golden ending, (believable and happy) Ford takes a much more cynical look.
Gypo the main character is killed while the Joad family future in Grapes ofWrath is not that much better than when they statred out.
Capra’s heroes come from small town, happy middle America and are theepitome of the common man. They are well liked and respected in the communitythat they live in. Capra’s men have greatness thrust on them by luck, while Fords characters have trouble thrust upon them. Both Smith and Deeds achieve theirhonored positions by the misfortune of someone else. In both cases it is thedeath of a famous individual who perishes and Deed’s and Smith are called upfrom the ranks of the common people to eventually achieve greatness. However,their call is based on pure luck. Deeds luck was due because he was an heir of awealthy relative, and Smith because a coin toss ends with the coin standingerect. Ford’s men come from the outside of society, Fonda from prison and Gypohad been kicked out of the IRA. They have been disgraced and are at low pointsin their lives, while Fonda tries to redeem himself in a society that keepsdropping him down. He is released from prison, finds out the authorities havetaken his home and starts out with nothing. Fonda tries his hardest not tobecome a “Mean Man”.(Ma Joad’s name for what happens when you go to prison andbecome evil) Gypo also wants redemption but is so lost in a society that rejectshim. The society in this case is the IRA and once Gypo is kicked out he has nomoney and becomes lost. He wants to do good but is helpless until the end whenhe begs and is granted forgiveness and dies redeemed, religiously speaking.
Ford used religion in both movies as turning points and a way to reflectthe inner struggle of characters, the death of the preacher changes Fondaforever and Gypo’s redemption in the church where he has at last found peace.
Capra on the other hand uses real American monuments in the same way. Grant’sTomb and the Capitol building are seen by Deeds and Smith as great Americaninstitutions that symbolize the truth and greatness of their nation. During themonument scenes we learn a lot about the inner emotions of the characters. Noone else see’s the beauty and ideological importance of these monuments as weare told by supporting characters but this reflects that twentieth century manhas lost his faith in the institution. Although Capra’s movies can be consideredto show American society and authority in poor light, he on the surface can beconsidered anti-establishment or anti-American, but on a deeper level he is morepro-establishment and American because he wants the institutes to work and meansomething, not just to be hollow houses to be used by the wealthy and cunningto swindle the land. Smith actually argues these point when he is holding thefilibuster and is trying to explain why kids must learn to understand anappreciate the Constituent.
So when they grow up they hold them of value and theprincipals of the founding father actually meaning something. Ford too showsthe same if not even stronger anti-establishment views. At the same time astearing down the institution they support but not in its present corrupt formmaking these directors super-patriots, they are willing to go against somethingthey believe to be wrong in the hope it will get better. In this way both Fordand Capra can be seen as Caprasque heroes both men somehow achieved enough luckthat they where in a position to change the world and they did.
Ford and Capra also make comments on the society of the educated manand the written word. In fact the written word is used by both directors invarious forms, it motivates, destroys and can redeem. The written word is alwaysparalleled with money or prosperity but, once unmasked is usually wrong or bad.
Gypo sees a poster of his friend that reads reward 20 pounds, Gypo out ofconfusion turned to this poster and betrays his friend and his society for themoney. The Joad family is of on a quest to California on account that they reada pamphlet, this could be compared to the newspaper clip Ma Joad has of herson’s imprisonment. In both these Ford movies the news or the written word issomehow a motivation for people to do something. But the written word alwaysleads to misfortune. Comparing the pamphlet with the article on Fonda’simprisonment could symbolize and verify that nothing good ever comes from thewritten word. Ford way of secretly criticizing the learned man. Perhaps he iscommenting on the fact that we pay to much attention to what is written, whichcould lead to our downfall. Don’t just believe what you read investigate to findout the truth. Later on in Grapes of Wrath we find out that the pamphlet isactually a tool of the rich man to lure lots of workers out to California sothey can offer really low wages. The wealthy man controls the news and willalways use it to his advantage, even though most common folks believe what theyread they must learn not to be so blind.
The use of newspapers and written words are more obvious in the twoCapra films. They not only affect the characters but they also help explain thestory to the audience. In the Capra films we learn that news is subjective tomistruths and when silly stories appear of Deeds in the paper we know they werenot meant in the context that they were printed. Yet it seems that in Capra’sfilms the society believes without question everything they read in the paper,yet as spectators we learn the truth about the media. Babe the reporter wholoves Deeds says in the court room she colored the articles to sell more papers.
Finally when we are introduced to Taylor in Smith we realizes how corrupt thenews actually really is. Taylor’s name can be used as a metaphor for tailor assomeone who alters something. Although control of the paper is done in typicalCapra fashion, by the power of one man. The newspaper is another institutionthat must be unveiled because it has the power to confuse and corrupt people.
Taylor is the ultimate in corruption and when Babe was working for the paper shetoo cheats. Anyone associated with the written word is portrayed in a cynical ordevious ways.
Finally the most destructive theme in Ford’s and Capra’s movies is money.
Money is used in many ways in these four films sometimes their is plenty andsome times their is not any. Money ends up playing a big role in each of thesefilms, money is also used as a device to show how characters behave when seriousmatters occur.
Deeds and The Informer are very similar in their dealing with money.
Both movies begin with a large written banner about money. Gypo is faced with aposter claiming reward money, while Deeds begins with the newspaper proclaimingmillionaire heir not found yet. In both cases death is the cause that there isthe transfer of money to the main characters. Gypo becomes paranoid and drunkindirectly due to the money. Deeds also misuses his fortune at first, gettingdrunk and running around New York naked. With money comes responsiablity andboth Gypo and Deeds in the beginning are not capable of handling responsesablity.
It takes them many lesson to learn the real value of money and when they firgureit out they end up givening their money away to help someone less fortunate.
Deeds gives his millions to the out of work people, while Gypo gives his moneyto a lady in need of transportation home. Both cases the money is used for thepurpose of good. In Deeds the twenty million dollars brings many leeches, thesame happens to Gypo with his 20 pounds. Gypo starts to spend money more andmore frequently as the night wares on. He attracts leeches who care little aboutGypo but a lot about his money. These leeches end up guiding the character intodeeper and deeper trouble. Wheras Deeds has professional leeches like lawyers,because Deed lives in the world of high fainace the thief where suits and haveoffices. Both films end up using money as a test of a persons strength in thecase of Gypo he fails at first but eventually learns right even though it is toolate. Deeds on the other hand passes the test at first easily, but there aremoments when he is close to failing.
Smith and Grapes of Wrath are also very similar with the use of moneypotrayed in these pictures. Both are centered on the fact that society throughmoney is being abused and the little guy can not fight these odds. The bigbuisness men who smoke fat cigars and buy up land and kick off the farmers inGrapes of Wrath are the same men that work in the Senate in Smith. These men thewealthy are extremly greedy whereas the Joads just want enough money to feed thefamily and live. These rich land owners are willing to starve children just tomake more of a profit. coincidently while the rich steal and make illegal dealsto become richer the Joads do not even try to steal a loaf of bread. Which isthe point of these moves that there is more important thing than money, eventhought are society is based on it.
Capra and Ford worked very hard to achieve the positions in society theydid, both grew up in poor large families and hence started at the bottom andworked their way to the top. They lived the American dream yet they were not soblinded by their success that they did not see the misfortune of others. Theyknew the American system was corrupt and unfair and set out to criticizes andeven help change it. Either men cannot be labeled as liberal or socialistbecause there political allegance was not towards a party or a theory, it wasrooted in simple and obvious universal truths. And because their movies dealwith universal themes and truths I believe there movie do not or will not everappear old or dated.
