It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
A reflection on the Frank Capra classic. (spoiler warning)
Suicidal thoughts. An existential crisis. Alcoholism. Morality and ethics. These themes would probably not be the first ones you might consider when setting out to make a Christmas film. Yet one of the greatest festive movies ever made contains all of these themes and so much more. I was late to the party. The film had escaped me for 23 years until I finally captured a screening of it in the Town Hall theatre in Galway. It is a film made to be seen on the big screen. For that one magical night, I was transported to Bedford Falls, New York, where the travails of lead character George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, unfurled in front of me.
The film is based on a short story The Greatest Gift which was self-published by writer Philip Van Doren Stern in 1943. The only audience for his story initially were 200 of his closest friends, family and associates, having mailed multiple copies out to them for the Christmas of 1943. Prior to this, he had experienced nothing but rejection from all the publishers he had approached with the story. Luckily, the actor Cary Grant came across a copy and RKO Pictures subsequently bought the rights for $10,000, with Grant in mind for the lead role. Through a series of studio negotiations and wranglings, the role landed in the lap of Jimmy Stewart who was the first choice of director Frank Capra. The two had previously worked together on You Can’t Take it With You (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Capra maintained that only one actor could portray an inherently good character that was unaware of their goodness. His assertion proved correct.
The film and original story borrow heavily from the narrative of A Christmas Carol (1843) by Charles Dickens. Both characters get to reflect back on their lives. The main difference is that Scrooge is allowed to recognise the impact his presence has made on those around him where George Bailey views the impact his absence has wrought. Both novel and film share that characteristic of being completely woven into the fabric of the festive period. Yet both possess a darkness and a window into despair that is easily forgotten amidst images of oversized turkeys, roasted chestnuts and renditions of Auld Lang Syne.
Instead of 3 ghosts, George is guided through the alternate realities by Clarence the angel, who is attempting to finally gain his wings if he successfully steers George back to the light. We see George gradually deteriorate as things go wrong in his family business. His lowest point comes in Martini’s bar where the camera moves slowly towards him across the whiskey-laden counter. The overwhelming anguish is vividly etched across every facial expression and physical movement of Jimmy Stewart. It is here we see an actor, otherwise known as an affable Everyman, reveal a well of hopelessness that was probably unthinkable for viewers aware of his previous roles. It is his ability to portray such lightness and good humour that enables the viewer to connect with this portrayal of utter despair. It is a remarkable performance from one the greatest actors Hollywood has produced.
America was still reeling from the ravages of World War Two upon the film’s release on December 20th 1946. George’s brother Harry is a navy fighter pilot, representing the hundreds of thousands of young men that went abroad to fight the Nazis. The country would have been going through its own existential crisis post war despite claiming the military victory. A country’s soul is a different thing altogether and it would be safe enough to assume that America was a broken country in ways. It had massive woulds inflicted upon it in the form of Pearl Harbour and in turn inflicted the most destructive wound against its enemy Japan through the dropping of two atomic bombs.
George Bailey is America. An individual examining his own existence in the world, a well-intentioned force for good but questioning whether his efforts have benefited those around him. Capra examines what it truly is to be American in the film. The prom night, the young blossoming love, the marriage, the house (rickety bannisters or not), the friends and the dreams: they are all here encapsulating the heart and soul of America. It is the community of Bedford Falls that ultimately saves George Bailey. The good deeds and kindness that he showed to the people of the town comes back to him ten-fold in the denouement of the film, highlighting the importance of community and the kinship of your fellow man.
There are rare films that possess a kind of magic that goes beyond celluloid, mise en scene and cinematography. It’s a Wonderful Life is a prime example of this dynamic. Watching George Bailey run along the main thoroughfare of Bedford Falls in the falling snow shouting with triumphant joy is one of the most iconically beautiful moments in all of film. It is dream-like. It is poetry. It is pure cinema. Merry Christmas.