10 Best Political Movies Of All Time

2. Mr Smith Goes To Washington

Mr Smith Goes To Washington is THE political movie when discussing classic tales of corruption and greed. Released in 1939, the cinema classic was among the first 25 films to be preserved in the US National Film Registry when it opened in 1989.

The story revolves around Jimmy Stewart's Jefferson Smith, a young and naïve man given the chance to be a Senator for an unnamed state by corrupt forces led by the villainous Jim Taylor. Though he has no idea that he is a patsy. After introducing a bill to the floor of the Senate that accidentally steps on the toes of the people that put him in power, he is put into direct political conflict with Taylor and his corrupt machine.

There is a reason why this classic has endured and that is because it depicts David vs Goliath, the little guy vs the evil forces that be. Well, Jefferson Smith is the underdog here and he fights as hard as he can to make his fellow Senators see the truth of their institution and what is in danger of becoming.

Jimmy Stewart is flawless as Smith and the scenes of his 23-hour filibuster are gruelling to watch, as he pounds away at the Senate floor in desperation of getting his point across.

The wonderful Claude Rains, Jean Arthur and Edward Arnold round out the main cast of this masterpiece that thanks to their efforts, and under the legendary direction of Frank Capra, has influenced every political in its wake.