It's a Wonderful Life

Dir: Frank Capra

1946

*****

One of the greatest films ever made in my opinion. James Stewart and Frank Capra make for one brilliant collaboration. Many have tried to achieve the magic of It's a wonderful life, many have totally ripped it off but none have matched its brilliance. Film makers of the future take note, character development is key, although it is also fair to say that The Greatest Gift, the short story written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1939 is not unlike Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol in many respects. It's a bit of a mystery as to why it did so badly upon release, I do wonder whether it had anything to do with its content or if people still preferred variety acts during the festive season. It's widely regarded now as one of the greatest films of all time, for many different reasons, but for me its biggest success is in challenging the very real taboo subject of severe depression many people feel during the holidays. It's a touching film that can be taken seriously but it is also somewhat melodramatic in places if I'm being totally honest but that's Hollywood circa 1946. It's a big family piece, suicide is a tricky subject to get right on film, very few have since but somehow Capra gets the balance right, it's big and Hollywoodesque but it's never overcooked. This is thanks to Capra's wonderful direction and of course thanks to great James Stewart. One of the few genuinely uplifting Christmas films (or any film for that matter) ever made. It's also responsible of one of the greatest last lines in a motion picture; "Attaboy Clarence".