It's a Wonderful Life

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Movie in addition to a wonderful DVD
Review: "It's A Wonderful Life" is a timeless classic and will always be one of my favorite movies. I must say that I was surprised with the DVD. I had very low expectations for it. I was excited to see that they had audio in French and Spanish - most movies only have subtitles. I have listened in the movie in Spanish and was also grateful to hear that it was a very accurate translation of the lines in English.
If you love "It's A Wonderful Life", go out and buy this great DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Most deservedly a classic; some reflections
Review: Apparently, it was the well-known literati film critic Pauline Kael who once described It's a Wonderful Life as "doggerel masquerading as art." As a fairly keen film fan, I am sometimes grateful that there are critics who probe a little deeper and find questionable aspects in certain films that enjoy great popularity, especially in these days of the omnipresent Big Dumb Blockbuster Movie, but here I think she did Capra's classic a gross injustice. For those who are seeing it for the first time, as I finally did recently after missing it for years, IAWL is that true delight, a bona fide classic that, for most people, is actually capable of living up to its reputation. For from a purely cinematic and storytelling point of view, too, IAWL remains a most impressive achievement, and this surely has contributed much towards its lasting and universal appeal.

The film is so well-known that any further comment on it may seem superfluous, but one of the main reasons why I find IAWL ultimately so successful is that unlike, say, Roberto Benigni's recent (and similarly titled and oriented) Life is Beautiful - to my mind, much overrated - IAWL's highly stylized story, beyond its own very obvious fantasy premise, always remains a relatively plausible one. Good, on closer examination it may still seem just a little improbable and contrived, and, for some tastes, perhaps a bit too sentimental at times, but that's not so critical here. For me, Benigni's film loses much of its impact because Benigni stretched credibility way too far in adapting and softening up its holocaust setting to meet the needs of his story. True, fans of Benigni's film argue that it was only meant as a fable anyway, and that is a valid point, but unfortunately the holocaust itself was no fable, and that leaves me seriously questioning the honesty and credibility of the film's message as indicated by its title. Capra's classic fable does not make such a mistake. Instead, it depicts the central protagonist, George Bailey, as a believable, sympathetic character in small-town America who has to suffer constant disappointment and loss throughout his life. His desire to end his life at the film's climax seems quite understandable: it seems that he has lost just about everything.

From a storytelling point of view, the whole buildup to this climax, the depiction of George's life story, can be seen as a spectacular piece of risk-taking on Capra's part, since it is so long and drawn-out. The first half of the film can seem slow, but it is precisely the extreme length of this buildup, and the level of detail of George's life that it depicts, that makes the ultimate resolution of the story so unexpectedly powerful. For the still uninitiated, this means: stay with it. For by the time Clarence the angel finally appears, the viewer is intimately familiar with George's dilemma and can identify with it accordingly. George seems to have had a dull and uninspiring life, has never fulfilled his former dreams and ambitions, and now has a financial crisis on his hands, at Christmas of all times. And just when he's at his most down, he's been further humiliated by his arch-rival, the Scrooge-like Potter, socked on the jaw by his daughter's schoolteacher's husband, and, in his drunkenness, has rammed his car into a tree. Most perceptive; life can be just like that, sometimes the misfortunes pile up just when there's enough of them already. After indulging in often overt sentimentality earlier in the film, Capra depicts this ultimate crisis in George's life in a surprisingly chilling and dark fashion, adding still further to the overall impact. Anyone who thinks that the actors weren't really challenged by their material should reconsider in view of this part of the film - for example, the way James Stewart plays George's climactic breakdown in front of his family, and his later despair in the bar, is truly masterful. Stewart was a genuinely great actor.

The genius of the film is then how Clarence (the most unlikely angel imaginable) is still able to turn George's (and the viewer's) perspective around, despite such a long, dark setup. Here, too, the alternative Bedford Falls "time line" (Pottersville) is both chilling and sure in its logic. Hence, when George finally realizes what would have become of his family, friends and acquaintances, and even his town had he never been, the effect is for both him and the viewer an unexpected and thrilling revelation. When he finally beams with joy at the end, both he and the viewer are appreciating his true riches in an entirely new light. Again, credit is especially due to James Stewart for portraying this so convincingly.

Capra once said that he made this film not for critics, but for those he most admired. So, one might claim that IAWL is, like Benigni's Life is Beautiful, "not a film for the jaded," and yet its great strength is that it can, in fact, also speak so well to some of us who might otherwise be potentially skeptical about its message and make us think a little differently about things. (For me, as far as this aspect of the film is concerned, it wins over Benigni's film hands down.) As for the film's little unspoken messages ("you can only take with you what you've given away" and Clarence's final message to George that "you're never a failure if you have friends"): they speak for themselves.

Incidentally, to a reader from Wakefield, MA, December 25, 1999: don't get the wrong idea about critic Leonard Maltin's comment about the film seeming to improve with age, he wasn't "incredulous" about that all. In fact, IAWL gets his maximum rating of four stars in his Movie and Video Guide (I wish Amazon would include his ratings in their listings), and of the 1970s TV remake, It Happened One Christmas, he says "[it] only shows how wonderful the Frank Capra original was - and is."

Rating:
Summary: The quintessential feel-good Christmas movie
Review: Everyone has their films that they must watch during certain holidays. For some reason, at my house we always watched "Uncle Buck" on Labour Day weekend. Likewise, Roger Ebert apparently watches "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" every Thanksgiving. My wife likes to watch "When Harry Met Sally" on New Year's Day. But Christmas is the time most saturated with films that the season wouldn't be the same without. "A Christmas Carol," "White Christmas," and some version of "The Grinch" are holiday necessities for many people. My personal favourite of all these films is Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life."

Because the airwaves are saturated with it (because the copyright was not renewed when it expired in the '70's) it's easy to flip by and watch bits until a commercial comes on. People who have only seen the film this way are missing the joy of the film - it is a finely-crafted vision of a town, the progress of years of the characters in that town, and the steady wearing down of one man's dreams until one Christmas Eve he decides to take his own life. What he hasn't noticed is all the good he done, and he's momentarily forgotten how much he is loved - by his extended family, by the people in the town touched by his basic goodness. He is not a Scrooge or Grinch remarkably transformed by the meaning of Christmas, but a good man worn down and worn out that is then rejuvenated by the Spirit of Christmas.

Capra and Jimmy Stewart evoke such a sense of place and timing that you can't help by be immersed in the story. The extended cast weaves in and out of the story, without intruding on the primary narrative. It's suitable for all ages - in 1947, the MPAA didn't allow anything questionable through - but I suspect that younger viewers will grow bored since the film is mostly dialogue and "grown-up" events.

This DVD edition looks very good. The sound is okay, but as usual, the visuals were cleaned up much more than the sound. There are a couple short (20 minutes) making-of featurettes, one of which is the same as on the VHS edition that came out many years ago (with Tom Bosley as host). But the main reason to buy the DVD is so you don't have to sit through the ads and suffer the cuts television stations make to cut down the running time. This film deserves much better than that!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Indeed
Review: I didn't discover this jewel until I caught it on cable television in the 1980's. Now I own a copy, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is watched faithfully each Holiday Season--often several times.

Frank Capra's endearing classic is the ultimate feel-good movie, like a sip of hot chocolate to warm the throat following a festive night under the stars looking at lights. All of us readily identify with George Bailey, a common man with big dreams and grand expectations. But when George's life consistently fails to meet his expectations, he becomes more disillusioned, disappointed. If only he could have traveled the world, designed and built the skyscrapers and bridges he talked about as a boy, his life would be meaningful.

And then George faces the ultimate conflict: possible bankruptcy, scandal, and imprisonment. He contemplates what, quite frankly, many of us would contemplate at such a time--suicide. Instead, he is given the ultimate gift: a chance to see what life would be like had he never been born. What he sees is bleak, even hopeless, and suddenly George realizes: his life has been meaningful, all along. And the majestic magnitude of his life is manifested during the film's final scene, when George's family and friends embrace him and rush to his aid.

James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore lead an exceptional cast in this wondrous film. Released in 1947, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a timeless classic that will be just as entertaining in 2047 and all the years to follow.

"To George Bailey, the richest man in Bedford Falls!"

Rating:
Summary: Why didn't this movie win and Oscar?
Review: I watched this show some year back and it brought me to tears, not of sorrow but of joy. Joy that I am reminded that how fortunate I am to love and be loved. It is a true reflection of how one is important to those around you and to treasure them. The saying of 'what goes around, come around' is befitting of this show. I am from Singapore and there is no snow, with sunshine year round, but after watching the show, it also brought to me the spirit of Christmas and with it, the warmth. I recommend this show to anyone who needs a 'boost' in life who feels down and that the whole world is against him.

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Summary: See this movie like you've never seen it before.......
Review: I've seen this movie a ZILLION times. On TV, on tape and even in theaters, it always looked and sounded worn out with missing frames, scratches and pops and awful sound. Watching this DVD was like seeing this movie for the first time! The print is beautifully restored, NOT colorized, but in pristine Black and White. The sound is crisp, clear, and they've even made the music sound amazingly less like the "tinny" sound you'd expect from a motion picture from it's time period. I had my doubts when I read the "digitally THX Mastered" banner at the bottom of the DVD container....but they really did do a great job on restoring this Holiday classic. If you love this movie, you won't be disappointed in this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Holiday Movie Wacthing at its Finest
Review: It's a Wonderful Life is a movie that is synonymous with the Christmas season. This classic film from director Frank Capra is still as heartwarming today as it was decades ago when it was first released and it continues to charm more and more generations each and every holiday season.

This movie works on every level, thanks to the story line, the directing, and the actors and actresses involved. Actor Jimmy Stewart plays the likable yet frustrated George Bailey, showing how one man can have it all and almost let it all slip away. Henry Travers plays the role of Clarence, George's guardian angel, and his appearance fits the part perfectly. The same is true of actor Lionel Barrymore in the role as the nasty Mr. Potter. With his evil smile and mean- spirited demeanor, Barrymore fits the role of the greedy CEO to a tee.

Capra's directing is the key to making this movie work and it's doubtful that many others would have been able to duplicate his work. The plot of this movie would seem a little silly at first: man works hard, starts to feel down and out, loses track of a large sum of money, feels he is no longer appreciated, tries to commit suicide, and is rescued by a man who claims to be his guardian angel and takes him back in time to see what life would have been like if he had never been born. But Capra pulls all the elements together and creates a cinematic masterpiece.

This movie is considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time. It certainly is a movie worth watching, during Christmas or anytime of the year. It's message is timeless, and it will continue to win over more and more fans with each passing year.


Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER!
Review: My mother got me this DVD for Christmas and I watched it that night and I was amazed. James Stewart gives his greatest performance ever as George Bailey(Even better than the classic performance he gave in 'Mr Smith Goes To Washington')and one of the greatest performances ever by any actor in any movie. THe casting is excellent. Donna Reed is great and beautiful as George Bailey's wife. To me, George and Mary Bailey are the best onscreen couple ever. Old man Potter, played excellently and villianously by Lionel Barrymore was great casting. I think it is one of the best screenplays ever written and one of the best movies ever, if not the best. Of course I love Schindler's List and rank it very high. My favorite scene in It's A Wonderful Life(It is a very small and simple scene) is when George is outside Ma Bailey's house as Harry's return from college party is going on inside the house. He lights his cigarette from a match he strikes on the outside steps. Music begins to play as we see people inside the house having a good time. George is alone, smoking his cigarette. He pulls out brochures of other countries he always wanted to go to. To me, this scene sums up the theme of the whole movie. George sacrifices his dreams, his aspirations, his whole life for other people because that's what kind of a man he is, a kind man, who thinks of himself last. That's why he chose to run Bailey Building and Loan. Every scene is classic and Frank Capra's direction is great as usual. Many people have the misconception that It's A Wonderful Life is only a great holiday movie that should be watched only around Christmas. To me, the film is about life, love, things taken away, sacrifice, and faith, the faith to keep on going when you can't go on any longer. Jimmy Stewart brings so much love, life, and sympathy to the character of George Bailey. To me, George Bailey is the most memorable character in screen history. I have a complaint. Just last year, the American Film Institute(AFI) announced it's 100 Greatest Heroes and Villians in Screen History. I was outraged to see Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in TO Kill A Mockingbird win the Number 1 hero. Not to take anything away from Peck, who delivered a strong, great performance as Atticus, but it is George Bailey who is the Number 1 hero. He sacrificed his whole life for other people and he found the goodness in that.

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Summary: It's a Wonderful DVD!
Review: Perhaps because it's such a wonderfully resonant story as well as an annual Christmas "ritual" in many American homes, "It's a Wonderful Life" has been well received despite the frankly horrible quality of thousands of circulating 16mm film prints and VHS tapes. Once the copyright on the film expired, putting it in the public domain in the early seventies, duplicate prints were being struck from duplicate prints, and new, cheap VHS versions were being produced and sold by multiple distributers for under $5. Despite the "muddy," distorted look and absence of "grey scale," we tolerated the inferior print quality in exchange for the magic of the movie.

This DVD version, struck from the original print, makes it possible for the first time to enter Bedford Falls and fully inhabit its sparkling world. It's like seeing the film for the first time all over again. In fact, it may be better. Formerly I thought of the movie as talky and even loud at the expense of visual language, but now I'm able to appreciate Capra's photographic eye as well as the meanings that are purely cinematic.

The flip side of the disc contains interviews with Capra and Stewart, behind-the -scenes information on the making of the film, and some history of the film's conception and reception. It's frequently repetitious, but a nice bonus nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is the real deal: true cinematic magic!
Review: Readers, you most likely do not know me personally at all, but if you're doubting that this movie is one of the most magical movies Hollywood ever made, there's only one thing you need to know: That I was actually smiling by the end of this movie. My normally cynical heart usually balks at these kinds of uplifting movies with its feel-good endings that either seem tacked on or just plain false (heck, I'm one of the few that disliked the recent FINDING NEVERLAND, with its cheesy "just believe" philosophy; oh, and I'm not too keen on the engineered "Christmas spirit" either). But maybe I'm just a sucker for movies in which ordinary men like George Bailey find themselves so disappointed in their lives that they must be reminded---as indeed he is, in genuinely heartwarming fashion---how much of a difference they truly made in the ordinary world. Akira Kurosawa's IKIRU had a similar theme, and I was moved to tears by parts of that movie too (although some of it was admittedly sentimental and slick). And remember the ending of Alexander Payne's ABOUT SCHMIDT, with Jack Nicholson's character feeling worthless until he picks up a letter from a little kid in another part of the world? That final shot of Nicholson welling up with tears is comparable to the final scene of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, in which nearly an entire town congregates in George Bailey's house to remind him of what an important man he truly is in the small town of Bedford Falls. Who doesn't want to feel important in some way? And that final quote from Clarence: "no man is a failure who has friends." Truly a maxim to live by, if you ever feel down about yourself and your place in the world!

As you can probably tell, then, I love this movie. Director Frank Capra never seems to be pushing for audience goodwill the way he did towards the end of his 1938 Oscar-winning YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU; this is probably Capra's masterpiece. And James Stewart, as the American Everyman George Bailey, gives a performance that is stunning in its wide emotional range. You can see why people would like him, and yet you can feel the disappointment he feels in himself. Okay, so the movie is a little long, and the opening shot of the stars talking to each other is laughably cheesy. In the face of the sheer magic this movie conjures forth, those are mere nits. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a wonderful movie. Highly recommended.