Review of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by David S — 04 Jan 2015

Frank Capra's "small fish in a big pond" formula never worked better than it did here. A financial disaster upon release, his endearing classic is now a universally acknowledged classic, and essential Christmas viewing to anyone with blood coursing through their veins.

Based on the Philip Van Doren Stern's short story, The Greatest Gift, about a man shown what would happen if he'd never been born, the fact is the short story only occupies the final third of the film.

Frank Capra expanded the idea into a two hour film that anatomizes life's ups and downs, flipping from romantic comedy to painfully realistic despair with an incredible innateness. With Capra's tender touch, a script that is a captivating assault on the heartstrings, and a cast that is as close to perfection as is possible, It's a Wonderful Life provides the kind of wondrous sensations that cinema was born for.