yeah, thats right..
the minute she finds out smith is into susan, she get jealous and tells him about the dam.
that starts the entire thing
then when hes down and out, and no longer with susan.. she comes in ..
i dont know.. i just hated how she manipulated him
I do agree with you that Saunders is just as cynical and selfish as the others in Washington when she is first introduced. She even admits this when she tells Senator Paine, "When I first came to this town, my eyes were big, blue question marks. Now they're big, green dollar signs." However, she goes through a change during the course of the film, and I can't agree that she manipulates Jeff.
First, to give Jeff something to do, Paine suggests that Jeff write a bill. Jeff is so excited he wants to write the bill in one night. In this scene, two things happen. First, Saunders begins to fall for Jeff's patriotism, idealism, and enthusiasm. In response to his description of his home state, Saunders replies that she has always lived her life in a tunnel. She is truly moved by Jeff. Second, when Jeff mentions Willet Creek, Saunders knows about the dam, but says nothing. She has already commented on Jeff's attraction to Susan Paine while Jeff was trying to guess her name, but, even so, she says nothing about the dam.
The day the appropriations bill -- with the Willet Creek Dam -- was to be introduced to the Senate, Paine used his daughter to take Jeff sight-seeing so that he wouldn't be present at the reading. Saunders has been around Washington long enough to know what's going on. She knows why Jeff has been nominated to take Senator Foley's place, and she knows why Jeff is being kept out of the Senate that afternoon. As she gets drunk with Diz, she hints at her attraction to Jeff and her hatred of Susan. While drunk, she accepts one of Diz's many proposals of marriage, quits her job, and, meeting Jeff in the office, tells him everything. I did not see this as a reaction to Jeff and Susan, but rather, a reaction to the corruptness of the Senate.
Think of this: when Jeff has been falsely accused of graft, embarrassed, abandoned by everyone in Washington, who came to him? Saunders. She had nothing to gain, but she couldn't leave him alone. She uses what she knows about Washington to help him fight back. I don't think that Saunders admits that she loves Jeff until she sends him the note "P.S. I love you" during his filibuster.
This is just my interpretation.
Spin
you're right, but still, ( I kinda have a very grim outlook on life and don't trust anyone, that might be why I'm thinking this way)
lets start out from the beginning. Saunders is already crooked, as she herself says it. She hates it.. but still keeps doing it, 'cos now she just wants the green.
So when smith comes in, she puts the journos onto him. If you think about it, this is the starting gun shot for the entire ride.
he says he wants to build the camp for kids to the journos, later when he gets angry with the press, he goes to paine and paine unknowingly tells him to start up on the bill, thinking that will keep him occupied.
now bear in mind, paine has already told saunders to keep smith away from willet creek.
so when hes talking about the boy camp and mentions willet creek, she doesnt say anything. There are a million ways, she coulda helped him fight it out, instead of the fillibuster way. with her know how of the senate.
anyway, the next day, shes again being the mischievous girl talking to the press guy to see how things will fall now.
She doesn't care much about what happens to him, I know she falls for him, EVERYBODY does. I mean, I loved his entire patriotic spirited character. who wouldnt. BUT, she only felt the pangs, when susan calls her up and arranges the meet.
thats when we see her actually being hurt. Till that part, she is happy as a clam.
I know I'm unnecessarily dissecting a classic. If I look objectively, its an awesome movie with excellent characters. Even Paine, who gave an amazingly understated performance of a guy who is reminded of lost causes and comes to terms with himself.
No! You are not unnecessarily dissecting a classic. One of the things that makes a book/play/movie a classic is that it can be dissected, discussed, and interpreted in different ways. You're right. This IS "an awesome movie with excellent characters." If it weren't, then we wouldn't be able to debate Saunders and her motivation.
There is one point I think we may agree on. During the bill writing scene, when Jeff mentions Willet Creek, Saunders takes notice. She knows about the dam and, most likely, the graft that went with it. She could have, as you stated, given Jeff a legal way around it. She could have told him flat out what was going on. Instead, she asks if Senator Paine knows about the camp. Jeff assures her that Paine does, but Saunders, as well as you and I, know that Paine doesn't know the full details of Jeff's camp or he wouldn't have given the okay to write the bill. Even so, she finishes the bill.
The easy answer is that she did as the script told her. But, seriously, why did she bypass the chance to help Jeff then? Did she want to throw a monkey wrench into Washington politics? Did she want someone to stand up to the establishment? As her defender, I'm not sure what to answer right now.
I am enjoying this discussion, Cal_culus3, however, I have to log off now. I would like to continue this discussion if you are willing.
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