It may be scarred (for UK viewers at any rate) by a syrupy amount of flag-waving, but Frank Capra's 1939 story of an idealistic young senator (Jimmy Stewart) running up against corruption in Washington is still an enjoyable fable. For once, though, top acting honours don't go to Stewart - - here he's edged off the screen by Claude Rains' world-weary old senator.
DVD Extras:
Commentary by Frank Capra Jr, Frank Capra Jr Remembers featurette, Theatrical trailer, Vintage ads, trailer. Frank Capra Jr may have a genetic connection to the film, but he should leave it at that. His stuttery, gap-packed commentary is delivered with the air of a man up past his bedtime, while the documentary featurette is a glossily uninformative waste. A fairly sharp transfer to DVD aside, there's not much here to tempt anyone to upgrade from their video copy.
