Plot: What’s it about?
As Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) worked her final shift on the newspaper, she decided to makes some sparks and penned a letter signed John Doe, then printed it in the paper. The letter was a dagger of social commentary, with Doe claiming that he would kill himself in order to make a visible protest against the system. The letter was met with enthusiasm from the readers and soon enough, she was back in her position and asked to produce this John Doe, but she knew he didn’t even exist. So she hires an unemployed man named John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), who will be the physical rendition of Doe to the public’s eyes. With a real person to be their pawn, Ann and her bosses begin to drive the story further and soon, an entire political movement surfaces, based on the words of this man John Doe. What started as a simple revenge plan has turned into something real, but someone is bound to figure the mess out sooner or later.
I consider this picture to be a true classic and very strong throughout, although the ending does seem weaker than the rest of the film. But even so, this one is loaded with memorable moments and I think it is terrific and well worth a look. The cast is excellent, headed by Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, as well as a solid supporting cast. I suppose some sequences could seem very heavy handed, but it all works well enough I think, as the message comes through, but not at the expense of the film’s entertainment or artistic values. I do understand though how some don’t like the approach director Frank Capra takes here, as this does seem heavier and darker than you might expect. In the end however, Meet John Doe is a fantastic film and as such, I recommend it to film fans of all kinds. I do wish this disc had more supplements, but even as it stands, this one is worth a rental in the least.
Although he becomes a little heavy handed at times, Frank Capra still delivers the goods and then some with this picture. In a film like this one though, one that deals with complex social commentary, you have to expect some heavy use, as it simply must be done at times. But Capra never goes too far in his approach and in the end, more than ensures his message is clear, but not forced down the viewer’s throat. I suppose this seems darker than most of his work, but Capra always seemed to show that side also, while revealing the good aspects in people as well. I think this is one of Capra’s best efforts and with such a loaded resume, that is a real compliment to this picture. Other films directed by Capra include Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Lost Horizon, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, and of course, It’s A Wonderful Life.
Video: How does it look?
Meet John Doe is presented in a full frame transfer, which is how it was meant to be shown. This presentation has some flaws, but in the end, I feel this is a more than solid visual transfer. The source materials show some nicks and debris, but less than expected and aside from a couple minor jumps, I saw no serious problems. The black & white image is well balanced and as such, no overly dark or soft scenes are evident. I think some restoration work could be done here, but this is a nice looking transfer overall, so no hard feelings here.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was a little let down by this mono track, but it manages to come up strong when it needs to. I noticed some hiss and pops here, but never at important times, which lessens the impact I think. This is not the cleanest track I’ve heard by any means, but the basic elements surface when called on, so I suppose I can’t knock the score too much. I do wish this was restored somewhat to clean some spots up, but as far as older mono tracks go, this one isn’t too far from the normal standards.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
