CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Hitchcoc There is so much said about this film. It involves what proves to be a big time publicity stunt. John Doe, of course, is everyman. He has the best of intentions, but he soon gets caught up in a tidal wave of attention where his simple message is overwhelmed by quickly converted. It is mindful of the Christians who live their religion on their sleeves and only practice it for one hour on Sunday morning. These are some of the people who are quick to turn on their brothers and sisters without a thought. John is a sincere, thoughtful man, who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his own integrity, to follow through with his promise. The fact of the matter is that once this act takes place, those who were yammering for his head would go home and think, "Boy, he was a crazy guy!" This is an excellent film. I wonder what Frank Capra would think of the world today.

poe-48833 From THE PRESIDENTIAL PAPERS by Norman Mailer: "There are situations which belong more to the movies than to life..." Mailer never made it THIS far. We live in an age when a rich kid "suffering" from "affluenza" (i.e.; being born with a silver spoon in his mouth) can get away with the vehicular homicide of four people while driving drunk (and, at last count, had fled the country- and possible prosecution); an age when "the mass of Americans are not felt as a Political reality" (as Mailer put it); an age of "prefabricated politics;" an age of industrial accidents and deregulation that have left "all the food poisoned. And the waters of the sea we are told." (from CANNIBALS AND CHRISTIANS); an age when "the sense of a long last night over civilization is back again..."; an age when "terror" has us all quaking in our boots, although "we had had a secret police organization and an invisible government large enough by now to occupy the moon... and we had not found that many, and had looked like Keystone cops."; an age when "the country was (IS) taking a turn... the knives of the afternoon (are) out..."; an age of hyper-surveillance, where (THE PRESIDENTIAL PAPERS) "the great shadow is that there is a place for everybody in our country who is willing to live the way other people want him to, and talk the way others want him to;" an age of "America's tortured psychotic search for security;" an age of "a false security in the power and the panacea of organized religion, family, and the FBI... the stultifying techniques of the mass media;" an age when misinformation is the order of the day; "Sad. A nation as large as ours, blinded by the lies of the men who feed us our news." CANNIBALS AND CHRISTIANS: "For a time it had been an interesting history." We find out that the people of Flint, Michigan, have been poisoned by Lead in their drinking water, that the death toll of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan has now come close to 7,000 (with far many more wounded and homeless, some kicked to the curb by the very people who sent them off to war) and on and on and on (in the past few weeks, the carcasses of a 12 foot shark and a 30 foot whale have washed up on local beaches; it doesn't bode well). "America," wrote Mailer, "has come to a point from which she will never return." And, finally: "No age of high ideals is close at hand." Like prostitutes (whose profession is, next to the Politician's, the Second-oldest), most of today's "elected representatives" "have no memory." Of most it could be said: "He gave the sort of speech... which serves to clot the aisles of history." Their intentions are clear: "to steal the land." To milk the Earth of all its Resources, without regard for those who Have Not. One would do well to mind the words of physicist Neil Tyson: "There are a lot of Races, but only one Species."

utgard14 Frank Capra classic about a homeless man (Gary Cooper) paid to pretend he is the fictional John Doe who threatens to commit suicide over social injustice. Before long he finds himself at the front of a grassroots movement and in love with the woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who created the myth. Then he finds that the entire movement is a scam to help a greedy politician (Edward Arnold) become governor. Brilliant social commentary done in the inimitable "Capra-corn" style, mixing hopeful optimism with healthy skepticism. The result is a meaningful story full of colorful characters who also have shades of grey.Full of memorable lines like "I know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber, and I don't have to read it." "If it was raining hundred dollar bills, you'd be out looking for a dime you lost someplace!" "Show me an American that can keep his mouth shut and I'll eat him." And that doesn't even cover the helots! Amazing cast, direction, writing, cinematography...the whole production is excellent. An idealistic, sentimental American classic from a legendary filmmaker and some of the best actors of their time. A must-see for everybody.

TheLittleSongbird I like Frank Capra's films a lot, my favourites being It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Smith goes to Washington. Meet John Doe is not quite a classic for me, but it is still very good. Some of the characters could have done with more colour and the film's messages and warnings while appropriate and relevant do have a tendency to preach. That said, it is gorgeously filmed, Dmitri Tiomkin's score is outstanding, the dialogue is funny, touching and intelligent and the story is moving while having a dark centre to it. Capra does a solid job directing, while there is a divine cast with Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyk and Edward Arnold particularly outstanding. In conclusion, very good if not quite a classic. 8/10 Bethany Cox