Review of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Anssi V — 02 Jan 2012

It's a story full of warmth and caring. I was actually a little surprised to learn that most of the story was not about the world without Bailey. Rather it was about his life and how he had ended up on that bridge ready to jump.

And that's exactly the way it should be. You need to understand where Bailey is coming from, what has happened to him and exactly why he feels that this is the final straw. Aside from that, James Stewart is an incredible actor.

The character of George Bailey really comes into life in his hands, and you could clearly see the conflict within him. He had grand plans, he wasready to conquer the world, but then his dad died and he had to take over the family business.

You can really see the goodness within him when he's helping the people of his town, but you can also notice the bitterness that has gathered because he feels that he's trapped. A wonderful, wonderful movie, and it well deserves its status, not only as a Christmas classic, but as a classic in its own right.