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Reviews of It's a Wonderful Life
A delight to the mind
Posted : 3 weeks, 1 day ago on 19 October 2009 07:16
(A review of It's a Wonderful Life)It's a wonderful movie as well. I would usually have an issue with it if a film so outrageously claims that christianity is the one true religion, but I'll be damned, if a film does that then this is exactly how it should be done; in a way that will never offend a soul, done so casually that it's barely detectable. This film is just bursting with energy, great performances and a message that will be needed for as long as there are human beings walking this earth. It's all about appreciating what you have instead of longing for what once was, and Wonderful Life is also a fun character portrait of a man who is unrelentless in his generosity but never feels satisfied with the role he is given, until realising what he has managed to do in the world. Still, there are issues with this film. For one thing, for 1946 the editing is really horrible. This is visible during the bank scene late in the film, when a discussion between two parties have about five cuts in it, but the camera angle stays the same. Is is that hard to shoot a single good take? I also personally disliked some things we saw that felt very unnecessary when looking at the big picture; the "what if"-scenario feels like it goes on for too long, and I really think Valerie is utterly useless after the first scene we see her in. Still, it's a great flick that deserves to be watched by all of us.
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Great introduction to Classic Films
Posted : 2 months, 2 weeks ago on 26 August 2009 03:25
(A review of It's a Wonderful Life)This film was one of the first classic films from yesteryear that introduced me to a world of great films from the legendary Frank Capra.
The feel good family story about destiny and one mans place in the world really opens up your mind and heart to the possibilities one can achieve in the short time we have. Jimmy Stewart is great in this.
For some reason Nicolas Cage's performance in Family Guy reminded me of this film, don't know why but there you go. There is nothing old about this movie. Absolute brilliant and inspirational...
Here are some great clips http://bit.ly/wonderful-life
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It's a Wonderful Movie!!!!
Posted : 10 months, 1 week ago on 1 January 2009 02:54
(A review of It's a Wonderful Life)"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is an endearing masterpiece that remains timeless in its messages and thoughtfulness. This sentimental and honest motion picture conveys a fantastic story of self-realisation and the significance of a single human soul. There's little doubt that Capra's classic fantasy-drama has become practically synonymous with Christmas, and it's one of today's most popular Christmas movies. It's a Wonderful Life has become a seasonal favourite (despite producer-director Capra never intending it as a Christmas film) chiefly due to the crucial scene at the film's dénouement occurring on Christmas Eve, and (of course) because this is a film about giving rather than receiving. For any film buff, cinema connoisseur, or average movie-goer, this film demands to be viewed at the earliest opportunity. This film is magnificent, charming, remarkable, heart-warming and uplifting. Not only is it one of the greatest Christmas films, but it's also one of the greatest films in history - period!
There's a question surely all of us have pondered at some point in our lives - what if I'd never been born? If I was absent from this world, would it really make a colossal difference? Whilst most of us can do nothing more than merely hypothesise, the answer to this philosophical (and probably alcohol-induced) question is offered to this film's protagonist - George Bailey (Stewart) - who actually witnesses his hometown had he not ever existed to help shape its development.
It's a Wonderful Life is based on Philip Van Doren Stern's story The Greatest Gift. Stern was struck with the concept of a suicidal man being confronted by his guardian angel, but his story was rejected by several magazines. He subsequently added the seasonal setting, printed 200 copies and sent them as Christmas "cards". Among the recipients was his agent who then sent it to the studios. At Cary Grant's urging, RKO bought the film rights and hired Dalton Trumbo to adapt the story. Trumbo (never credited) was the first in a long line of screenwriters who contributed. Supposedly his version was too dark, too sophisticated and too political...but it was he who wrote the immortal line: "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings".
After World War II had concluded, director Frank Capra was yesterday's man. Narcissistic, embittered and cynical, Capra went independent and founded Liberty Pictures. Sensing an affinity with its darker aspects, Capra purchased the film rights for It's a Wonderful Life from RKO, hired his own group of screenwriters and financed the production at the Bank of America.
At the commencement of It's a Wonderful Life, it's Christmas Eve. Up in heaven, a chorus of prayers are heard coming from the town of Bedford Falls. These prayers plead for those above to assist the despairing George Bailey - the unsung hero of Bedford Falls who begins to contemplate suicide. Clarence Oddbody (Travers) - George's appointed guardian angel who's yet to earn his wings - is sent down from heaven to pay George a visit and heighten his spirits. Roughly the first 100 minutes are dedicated to recapping George's life so far. Initially, George is a young man who's entirely selfless - he courageously saves his brother's life, and forfeits his dreams in order to help his town. Eventually George accomplishes the American Dream; he has a loving family, a great home, and he has inherited his father's business. But as financial and personal troubles mount, George plunges into a tragic abyss of despondency. Enter lovable guardian angel Clarence. Following a nightmarish vision of Bedford Falls without his influence, George ultimately concludes that his life is a wonderful one...and at long last Clarence earns the beloved wings that he has desired for 200 years.
It's a Wonderful Life earned its legion of fans because it effectively communicates one basic truth of life: everyone, regardless of how seemingly insignificant a single person may seem, has the capacity to make a difference. It additionally reiterates the values of the WWII generation - patriotism, hard work, and sacrifice - while heralding the values of the Baby Boomer/Eisenhower generation (i.e. the perception of the American Dream which entails family, home ownership, children, and not just tolerable, but wonderful neighbours).
The underlying themes are obvious: our lives positively affect the world more than we believe, and we touch many more people and than we realise. Until Clarence reveals it to him, George doesn't realise how much good he has done in the world. Furthermore, we're led to believe that no-one who believes in themselves is a failure. George is simply depressed, and just needs his confidence restored. This is the type of experience movies were intended for.
A common philosophy frequently embraced by cinema enthusiasts claims the non-existence of a perfect movie. It's a Wonderful Life, however, is rock-solid proof that perfect movies exist. Capra's masterwork is a flawless tour de force - an enduring masterpiece of the highest order that entertains, inspires and uplifts. It demonstrates the capability of the indelible power of friendship, and reminds us that a loving family and a bunch of great friends are all that truly matter in the grand scheme of things. This is an enriching experience full of warm characters and edifying, poignant messages about life. It's a Wonderful Life has become a generational favourite, probably because of its sweet, stirring story that merges two time-honoured Hollywood plots: rags-to-riches, and romance.
Frank Capra and James Stewart always declared that It's a Wonderful Life was their favourite film. It's undoubtedly one of mine as well. After all, how can you not like it? It has an excellent script, it's marvellously acted, and it's resplendent with Capra's proverbial touches in casting and the underlying messages.
There's little doubt that It's a Wonderful Life could be considered the definitive "feel good" movie. Yet the film stands out due to its sometimes darker tone to counteract the occasional uplifting moment. George's nightmarish odyssey through the garish Pottersville and a community in which he was never born - dubbed by the filmmakers as "the unborn sequence" - is noticeably noir cinema; gloomy and disenchanted. The result is a wistfully realistic movie, yet it also maintains the Capra spirit of belief in the ultimate triumph of right over wrong, and the importance of an ordinary person contributing to that triumph. Anybody who isn't sincerely moved by the film's conclusion should wonder what the heck is wrong with them.
Technically, It's a Wonderful Life is very impressive indeed. A gigantic construction of Bedford Falls' main street was built, with over eighty stores and buildings, as well as twenty transplanted oak trees. It's virtually impossible to view Bedford Falls as anything but a genuine town. Production transpired during summer, thus a large quantity of snowflakes for the winter scenes had to be artificially created. Through the magic of the movies, every flake of snow looks authentic (in fact I had no idea the snow was artificial until I conducted research!). If anything is be criticised (perhaps that word is too strong), it's the sporadic technical fault - like a wide shot not precisely matching a close-up. That aside, Capra's direction is solid. Each shot is infused with magnificent visual flair. The black & white photography looks stunning.
It's a Wonderful Life will be primarily recognised as a significant component of popular culture. It's a Christmastime television tradition worldwide. All these decades later, Capra's masterwork is still viewed by its loyal fans annually on Christmas Eve. Movies recurringly pay tribute to this picture as well. Sesame Street even contained two characters named after Bert the cop and Ernie the cabbie. There's even a band called Zuzu's Petals. Even in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (my favourite Christmas movie) the characters are watching It's a Wonderful Life at one point.
Surprisingly, this wonderful movie was not an immediate hit. It's a Wonderful Life received mixed reviews, ranging from a lionisation in The Hollywood Reporter to a vicious trashing in the New Yorker. Although nominated for five Academy Awards, it was shut out the ceremony. Worse still, the film was a box office bomb...spelling doom for Capra's newly established Liberty Films. It wasn't until the 1970s that It's a Wonderful Life was transformed into a Christmas staple. The expiration of the film's copyright and its descent into the public domain was the cause of this. It could be played ad infinitum by any television station without being charged. TV stations seized it as a time-filler for the Christmas season. Capra's oeuvre was ultimately rediscovered by a new generation of movie-goers, and the reviews were almost unanimously positive. Finally, Capra's masterpiece received the recognition it deserved, albeit several decades after its theatrical release. Now it's a perennial Christmas favourite. This is the ultimate comeback movie!
While Frank Capra must claim some of the recognition for the brilliance of this masterpiece, it's the phenomenal performance of James Stewart that truly makes an impact. He infuses George Bailey with a deft mixture of innocence and integrity, but also humanity and fallibility, which has the viewer rooting for him from the outset. Stewart fits the role like a glove - he's amiable and convincing, and when plunged into the garish vision of Pottersville his desperation and despair is increasingly apparent.
As Mary, Donna Reed embodies the independence and sweetness required to capture George's heart. Reed wasn't Capra's first choice, yet it's difficult to visualise any other actress in the role. On the surface the character of Mary may seem straightforward, but Reed is required to display genuine emotional depth during the film's climax and does so ably. Henry Travers appears as the charming Clarence; George's guardian angel. His performance is simply glorious.
The rest of the supporting cast is memorable and uniformly excellent. Lionel Barrymore provides the character of Potter with the correct degree of cunning and malice, Thomas Mitchell is very watchable as the lovable - albeit incompetent - Uncle Billy, and the duo of Frank Faylen and Ward Bond appear as Ernie the cabbie and Bert the cop. Capra never allows a faulty performance to slip under the radar.
Underpinned by a fascinating philosophical conceit, It's a Wonderful Life remains one of the most watchable and enjoyable movie classics in cinematic history. Capra's commemoration of the power of community and defiant optimism is orchestrated with consummate mastery; flawlessly combining laughs, poignant sentiment and exuberant allure with imagination and a beautifully rendered tone. Critics back in the 1940s may have blasted the film for the sentimentality that characterises a Capra film, but it has grown more beloved over the years.
Not merely just a Christmas film as it can be viewed anytime throughout the year, It's a Wonderful Life conveys one of the most transcendent and joyful experiences a movie-goer could possibly ask for. It delivers a wonderful message of morality, values, principles, and what's truly important in life. Words fail me when I attempt to describe how brilliant, timeless, inspirational, original, touching and wonderful this masterpiece genuinely is. I defy you to not produce a tear as the film winds down to its uplifting conclusion. It's a Wonderful Life is treasured for good reason, and is particularly noted for its heart-warming insistence that "no man is alone who has friends..."
If It's a Wonderful Life was never born, the world would truly be worse off for it.
10/10
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