It's a Wonderful Life.

[cinematixyz]

It's that time of year so yes, I am going to share my thoughts on the classic Frank Capra gem

Comments

[cinematixyz]

You won't regret it. It's a timeless tale and while it has a few "AW..how sweet" moments, it is worth a full viewing. Perfectly casted and a reminder of how many lives each of us touches;)

Z

[the_rainbow_jen]

People who deride Capra fail to acknowledge a lot of the time how 'Capra-corn' is a distinct style, one that still gets mimicked today. If that's not a sign of it's quality (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery) I don't know what is. I say this as a die-hard Capra fan, who recommends his bio to everyone (Name Above the Title) which is a fascinating read and shows you how deeply he thought about his movies, and the kinds of messages that mattered to him. I don't consider IAWL a true Christmas movie - it's a great movie that happens to take place at Christmastime, as opposed to those which engage with some aspect of Christmas, popular or religious or whatnot. But it makes for a good movie around Christmastime, because of the emphasis on hope, which is something that can waver around Christmastime (financial concerns, highlighting loss/loneliness). I love how it's described in the Doctor Who Christmas Carol special, that with Christmas so close to the winter solstice, we're celebrating making it halfway through the dark

[cinematixyz]

I've read his bio and agree. I hate when people dismiss his work without really seeing his important place in film history. I mean, look at his movies!! 'It happened one night' (first oscar sweep, if I recall), 'Meet John Doe', "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" (rewatched this one last month with a friend because they had never see it and I thought they ought to..at least once in their lifetime), "Mr. Deeds goes to town" (which spawned many copies)," Platinum Blonde", "arsenic and old lace", not to mention the propaganda films he made during the war for those fighting and the messages of hope for those left behind. He's a legend, making the right films at the right time that show that any man can be an every man,if he chooses to follow the noble path.

I just love Capra's work, and am so glad to see I'm not alone ;)

Happy Xmas,Sweetie.

Zu

[cinematixyz]

There's just something so magical about it. It has something for everyone. Redemption, Faith, Love, Doubt, Magic, Friendship, Family and the moral of the whole story is Karma. You only get what you give. It's a great way to live life. It remains a classic for a reason. Also, if there are any really HUGE fans of this movie that you know of, recommend to them the criterion version or any dvd set of the movie with all the extras and commentary. It has a huge amount of great information on the making of this classic gem and it too is a great watch. On top of people that were involved, they also have film historians on hand to give everybody all the little inside tricks and previously unknown gossip that came together to make this Capra Classic. I don't care how hokey it makes me look, because I love this film and am glad it's been preserved for future generations because I don't think it's true message of karma should ever go 'out of style'.

Have a lovely holiday, Doll.

-Zu-

Great Film and Great Review! (Additional Review by XIM)

[cinematixyz]

I agree with everything you said about this great film. I love it and have watched it more than any other 'holiday' film except maybe A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is also a yearly favorite. This film will grip you and hold you if you give it ten minutes and you will be drawn into one of the best character driven films ever made. It does run the emotional scale, taking the viewer from the depths of human depravity to the heights of joy and everything in between. The special edition DVD of this film is very worthwhile, with a commentary from a film historian that will fill in the history and background and place the film in context. For lovers of film history it is a great way to understand more of the times the film was made in and what the post-war period was like for Americans. It joins other commentaries like the one for Citizen Kane and the one for Gone With the Wind that really covers everything like cast and crew histories, historical context, and how the film has played out though the decades. I sometimes prefer these