It’s a Wonderful Life at 75: A bad Christmas movie, a powerful drama

War as a Prelude, Frank Capra’s 1942 propaganda documentary meant to encourage American involvement in World War II, the narrator at one point asks, “Just what was it made us change our way of living overnight?” The film, which co -won Best Documentary at the 1943 Oscars, has a simple answer: Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Britain, and Nazi aggression overall.

Capra had to answer this question all through his life. Capra’s movies often featured an Everyman who makes a drastic lifestyle shift overnight that changes the lives of those around him. In 1936’s Mr. The Deeds go to TownAn Everyman inherits suddenly $20 million. In 1939’s Washington, DC: Mr. SmithA senator suddenly appears from an Everyman.

And in 1946’s It’s a Wonderful LifeThe Everyman of a town celebrating its 75th year anniversary suddenly realizes how his community would have been without him. Except this time, his benefactor isn’t a dead relative or a governor. It’s an angel.

AP

World War II would bifurcate Capra’s career into two parts. The first was one of astonishing success — immigrating from Italy at age five, rising through the ranks of silent movies as a writer, fully embracing the technical revolutions of talkies, and finding unprecedented critical success in the 1930s.

1934 It happened in one night It was the first movie ever to take home the Oscars five biggest awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. The Best Documentary award was also won. War as a PreludeCapra received the Best Director award three times.

These movies were not necessarily popular, but some of them remained relevant. None of these movies could match the popularity enjoyed by The Wizard of Oz. It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie which began the post-War segment of Capra’s career, one where critics and audiences now rejected him more often than not. Movies were preferred by audiences after the terrible realities of WWII. concerning espionage and deceit, like Alfred Hitchcock’s Important or Tay Garnett’s The Postman Always Rings Twice. When they wanted sentimentality, they preferred it to be as racist as possible, with the top-grossing movie of the year being Disney’s Song of the South.

So, why didn’t he? Wonderful Life, a movie that wasn’t beloved by audiences and critics of the time, and isn’t especially Christmas-centric, become a Christmas classic decades later? Its accidental release into the public domain is one reason, but it doesn’t explain everything. Every year, Christmas content is abundant. This is the reason.

The answer might be that audiences weren’t quite ready for Capra’s vision. The combination of romanticized collectivism and individual power is Capra’s vision. Wonderful Life The American Dream was created by immigrants, just like they did in Hollywood movies throughout history.

Before even meeting George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), Capra introduces the audience to two power structures: the community of Bedford Falls, which is praying for George, and the light bureaucracy of Heaven, where “Joseph” speaks to an unnamed God about all the prayers coming in for George. They both agree George needs help, as it’s his “crucial night,” but Joseph is skeptical because the assigned helper, Clarence (Henry Travers), “has the IQ of a rabbit.”

Clarence rushes onto the screen as a bright star, and the higher power, unnamed, chuckles in agreement. Before showing a burgeoning community in Bailey Park, and toward the end, a den of inequity and sin in the movie’s George-less alternate universe of Pottersville, Capra offers up a potent visual metaphor: we are all small cogs in the Universe, glowing at the right opportunity.

And then Capra shows what those right opportunities can do, offering a highlight reel of George’s life. Prior to meeting him, his audience discovers that he’s intrinsically good and brave. At the cost of his hearing, he saves his brother from being frozen in water. He saves Mr. Gowers, the pharmacist, from poisoning his child. When George’s uncle, Billy (Thomas Mitchell), accidentally gives a crucial deposit of $8,000 to the vile and rich banker Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), it’s George’s family that is failing him. And when George can’t retrieve the money, it’s his family who he takes his anger out on, cruelly chastising them amidst the noise of holiday cheer. Capra isn’t particularly concerned with Potter’s theft, but rather how collectives like families and communities react to misfortune.

However, even if an individual fails their group, they are still able to make a comeback. This is what an FBI agent thought at the time. It’s a Wonderful LifeA movie called “Indiana Jones” directed by a Republican. He had previously produced propaganda films for the Army.

As much as Mr. Smith wasn’t afraid to show corruption as long as it was beaten down by the spirit of America, Wonderful Life isn’t afraid to show moments when people and communities fail. They get up again, just as they always do. Even if life in Pottersville seems exciting, Capra says, it can’t offer the strength of community spirit.

Jews were an additional group of immigrants who immigrated to Hollywood with similar romanticism. Neal Gabler points out in Their Empire, a book about Jews and the formation of the movie industry, “they would fabricate their empire in the image of America … They would create its values and myths, its traditions and archetypes.”

Capra, with his movies that depicted his American version, created values and myths as well as traditions and archetypes. And by the time everyone is singing “Auld Lang Syne” at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s hard not to join in, not matter who you are or what you celebrate.

It’s a Wonderful Life Streaming is available Amazon Prime VideoAnd on TubiWith ads