Review of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Jacob D — 19 Dec 2018

A holiday classic that is really a gripping drama about one's man's life.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is director Frank Capra's masterpiece of humanistic drama. He revels into the simple pleasures of family, kindness, giving, and decency. While often played during the Christmas season, It's a Wonderful Life carries a timeless message of appreciating what you have in life. It remains a beautiful film and timepiece of how people can treat each other better just for the sake of doing the right thing.

Capra's direction is marvelous. The black and white colors are so crisp and carefully lit with bright lighting around the faces and moody street atmosphere. There are multiple long panning shots down streets and around corners that remain impressive technical feats. The few special effects of fading a person in or out are seamless, while the heavenly framing device is a charming as ever. Capra knew how to depict a man's entire life scene by scene by showing only what was necessary to understand how this man came to want to end it all. The graduation dance party over the pool is as impressive a sequence as the memorable Great Depression episode is likewise.

James Stewart is the protagonist George Bailey, whom we follow closely from adolescence to adulthood. Stewart is fascinating as the relatable everyman. You like him and want him to succeed because of his decency, but empathize with his pain as it all comes crumbling down around him time and again. Stewart gives one of his best and most versatile performances in It's a Wonderful Life. From joy for dreams to agony for loss, Stewart displays everything he had.

Donna Reed is similarly magnificent. She is as lovely and charming as any young leading actress, but so sincere in her love for George. You hope for her happiness and Reed demonstrates a playful, kind, loyal, and thoughtful wife as any man could hope to marry one day. Reed captures the magic of real love on film in It's a Wonderful Life.

I really appreciate the many great supporting roles from the boy that portrayed the childhood George to Lionel Barrymore as the greedy and lecherous Mr. Potter. Thomas Mitchell is so sweet and fun as Uncle Billy like Henry Travers is so naively innocent as George Bailey's guardian angel Clarence Oddbody.

Overall, It's a Wonderful Life is to be cherished as it is appreciated. It is a lively and entertaining film, but also particularly well crafted by the master Frank Capra. Give it a watch and see if you like it.