George lassos the moon … It’s a Wonderful Life

I don’t know how I went 23 years of Christmas without having It’s a Wonderful Life playing during the holiday season. Last year I saw the film for the first time on the big screen at the Screening Room in Amherst. Once again, as it seems to have become a yearly tradition there, I have found myself loving it just as much the second time this year. Frank Capra has put a masterpiece onto celluloid here, and that is quite a feat for a holiday niche film. Never dull, always heartwarming, funny, and true, It’s a Wonderful Life is truly one of cinema’s shining achievements.

Sure there is the whole cliché of seeing the world as though you have never existed; the waking up to show how important life is to so many. It’s a rendition of Dickens yet spun in a way that makes it its own. The entire film could have run with the gimmick and created a complete story from it, as numerous reinterpretations have done—Mr. Destiny, The Family Man, etc—however, that would have been the cheap way out. Instead the filmmakers have started us at the end, a tragedy has occurred and a man’s faith in life is waning. Prayers have been sent above and the Gods have decided to send down an angel to help our hero out of his predicament. Well this angel knows nothing about George Bailey, so for the first three quarters of the movie we go along for the ride to catch up on the life of this great man, just as our angel Clarence does the same. We are shown the life of a man who has given the whole of his being for those around him. With naught a selfish bone in his body, George continues to sacrifice his happiness for the joy to see his friends jubilant. Through his good deeds, he eventually wakes up to the treasures of life that have been in front of him the whole time and really takes a small town from the Depression to a close-knit, successful society. It is almost too difficult to think he could be in so much trouble that he would be contemplating suicide, but once again we see his caring nature come through in that trying, desperate moment. When the story finally catches up to itself we learn that the predicament he is in is actually one of another that he has taken responsibility for in order to see if he can’t solve the town’s problems again.

James Stewart is a revelation here. The self-deprecating nature is prevalent at all times, and the intellect his character contains juxtaposes nicely with the humor and goodnaturedness. Stewart is George Bailey, as the role fully encompasses his being. Every nuance of emotion is etched to his face as he goes from wide-eyed explorer to smitten lover, responsible adult, compassionate son and brother, loving husband and father, beaten failure, and finally redeemed hero and friend to all men and women he has ever come across. Of course what hero can exist without a nemesis of equal power whose immense strength comes from evil? Here we have the loathed Mr. Potter played brilliantly by Lionel Barrymore. I don’t think anyone who has ever seen this film can have any real compassion for this man who is truly a scrooge to all. People are numbers and figures to him, which need to be conquered and claimed as his own. Barrymore is despicably slimy and true to his character at all times. There must also be mention of the beautiful Donna Reed as our protagonist’s love interest. Her striking beauty and self-assuredness shows why George Bailey could be so taken by her, always getting distracted away from his dreams of leaving Bedford Falls. The sexual tension between Reed and Stewart throughout begins humorously at a dance and after when drenched with water and culminates in a serious and real moment as the love takes over during a phone conversation with an old friend. The relationship is believable from start to finish, portrayed even by the young actors who played their roles as children.

True there is a segmented population during Christmas time containing those who watch A Christmas Story, those with a love for Christmas Vacation, and those championing It’s a Wonderful Life among many others. I must say that I have been converted to Capra’s classic film and would have no problem watching it every Christmas for the rest of my life. The story means a lot of things to many people and has been remade countless times in many forms, (there are chunks of time here which show how even Back to the Future II is ripping it off completely). If you want a perfectly written and acted tale of the joy of giving and the strength of friendship to help show the true meaning of Christmas, look no further than this gem that has endured for 60 years. Yes, I will be purchasing the newly released 60th anniversary DVD—sometimes waiting half a century has its benefits as the first copy I own will be the definitive package available.

It’s a Wonderful Life 10/10

God bless us, everyone … Scrooge (A Christmas Carol 1951)

Being that my only previous knowledge of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol came from a rendition done by the muppets and a Bill Murray comedic vehicle, I was quite looking forward to checking out, what many call, the definitive version from 1951. I have never read the book, however, a friend of mine said he had just finished reading it again before our viewing, and that this movie was as close as can be without alienating the audience with archaic language. While the title at beginning and end is Scrooge, many know the film by the novel it’s based off of. We Americans needed to be handheld even in the 50’s changing the name from the original British release so as not to throw people off that the story was Dickens even if it didn’t share the name. Either way, this film is a great success at getting the story about the season of giving through to the audience. An evolution of epic proportions accomplished in one evening of catharsis and rebirth.

Again, being that Bill Murray and the muppets were my barometer for this yarn, I have to say Alastair Sim is the best Ebenezer Scrooge I have seen, (not to knock the great Michael Caine, but he played across from hand puppets and unfortunately the drops his performance down ever so slightly). Sim plays Scrooge with a bitterness befitting the character. His pent up rage against the world that has only rewarded his hard work with pain is boiling beneath the surface, coming up at every opportunity to spread his cheerful Bah, Humbug. The reactions during his ghostly visits are emotionally true, and his pleas that he is too old to change truthful excuses falling on deaf ears. Even after his metamorphosis, while at first appearing to take the glee of Christmas cheer a bit too far into absurdity, his giggles and smile are so genuine and infectious that you can’t help but grin and bask in the humanity on display. When Sim seems to go overboard, it always seems to have a purpose and realism. This can’t be said for many others, but this is an old film and the craft of acting was one to show emotion rather than dissolve the actor into a role completely as today. The overacting was the norm and the theatricality a staple in the field. Michael Hordern does a great job as Jacob Marley, (although, when a ghost, he does have a couple cringe-worthy facial contorts and overreaching moans), and Mervyn Johns is a standout as the put-upon Bob Cratchit who only sees the good in people no matter how horrible they are on the outside.

There must be notice of the special effects, since the film was made in 1951. The way the ghosts were created as transparent composites was very well done, considering. Even at the one point where Scrooge walks through a solid human, (there is a flicker where upon Scrooge becomes see through before turning solid again), is almost a seamless transition. It was also nice how, when during flashbacks and cut scenes of activities during his travel with the spirits, Scrooge is put to the background and the audience almost becomes his proxy, watching the proceedings. We don’t need to see him viewing everything and emoting reactions. We see and feel as he would and his reactions are only needed to progress us to the next vignette.

Scrooge (A Christmas Carol 1951) 8/10