The one Christmas movie I would never show anyone who was depressed or thinking of ending their live because it hasn’t quite gone the way they wanted it to be, would be IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Blasphemy, you cry! The movie that brings grown men to tears? Jimmy Stewart being saved from prison by the whole town of Bedford Falls. “I wanna live again, I wanna live again” and being brought back from the ends of despair by the sweet natured Angel Clarence?
Yes, your absolutely right. That movie. One of the more disheartening movies about the nature of having faith and how it’s worth nothing. It’s a movie about dashed dreams, about conformity over personal goals, about not living up to your own potential and seeing the world or your little part of it as being a massive prison cell you will be sharing with the same inmates for the rest of your life.
It’s a movie where the good guy and his unfulfilled ambitions compared to a greedy banker, the bad guy who gets away! What other movie from that era really got away with that?
The town of Bedford Falls might save George Bailey from going to jail but they don’t half condemn him to a life sentence of more epic proportions.
For the whole movie, James Stewart’s enthusiastic performance as George Bailey has given us a clear depiction of a character that had one goal in mind. To go to college and travel the world, he emphatically says that he does not want to turn into his father and go into the buildings and loan business. He has no interest in helping others, he wants to travel the world.
But the greedy banker Mr. Potter, one of the more iconic and effective screen villains of all time knows better than most that hasn’t turned out for George..
Mr. Potter: [to George Bailey] Look at you. You used to be so cocky. You were going to go out and conquer the world. You once called me “a warped, frustrated, old man!” What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities, no stocks, no bonds. Nothin’ but a miserable little $500 equity in a life insurance policy.
[Potter chuckles]
Mr. Potter: You’re worth more dead than alive!
You used to be so cocky… you were going to go out and conquer the world.
Yeah he was, until the true nasty nature of life brought him back down to reality.
By the film’s conclusion, the much touted “happy ending”, has George got anything that he wants? ANYTHING? Will he ever leave Bedford Falls?
NO, he has to run the building and loans company. Something he never wanted to do.
George Bailey: Now you listen to me. I don’t want any plastics and I don’t want any ground floors. And I don’t want to get married *ever* to anyone! You understand that? I want to do what I want to do.
NO, he couldn’t even leave the place to fight in the war because of his “deaf hearing”. He couldn’t even leave the place for hell on Earth, the one place no man really wanted to be.
Uncle Billy: After all, Potter, some people like George HAD to stay at home. Not every heel was in Germany and Japan.
NO, he can’t leave because he has to look after his over-larged family. FOUR KIDS in just a few years! WOW. That’s enough to secure he ain’t going anywhere.
George Bailey: You call this a happy family? Why do we have to have all these kids?
NO, he can’t leave because the Angel “Clarence” needs him to get his wings back. He has a job to do to help Clarence and has to stay in Bedford Falls.
“Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings”
- but not George of course. He won’t ever get wings to fly away. Clarence will and George’s brother, not coincidentally a pilot himself can fly away. But not George.
NO, the town have all paid for him to get out of his financial troubles. Leaving now would be a smack in the face to them.
NO, he can’t even commit suicide to leave the retched place. He is shown what the world would be like with him gone and it’s not pretty for anyone else, the town has become Pottersville, the nightmarish almost noirish town of greed and seedy side streets.
Clarence: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?
He is needed. The young boy who jumped around saying “hot dog!” and looking forward to the many adventures he was to have in life can never leave now.
George Bailey: I know what I’m gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that.
Of course it’s to the testament and genius of Frank Capra that the movie works on both levels but I’m always astonished that more people haven’t read the movie in this way. Especially when the bad guy so clearly gets away. I love IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE but I don’t think it’s a happy movie. I think it’s one of the saddest movies of all time.
Bah humbug, and Merry Christmas I guess! lol.
7 Comments
Hey Matt, I have to say that I never really looked at the film in that way before but now that you mention it, the film never really made me feel happy when I’ve seen it.
it is a brilliant film though and lets face it Jimmy Stewart… now there’s an actor.
Happy Hols bonney Lad!
I can see that view.
But I think it is a throwback to conservative Christianity’s belief of servitude. And perhaps a bit of liberalism and everyone working for the common good.
The point was that, because of him, everyone’s lives he touched were better than if he had never been born.
But, you’re right…the movie says your personal wants and desires are unimportant compared to the welfare of the community.
A distinctly different view than the current trend of “The Secret,” where you can have anything you want.
Happy Holidaze!
What you wrote is correct! Life wears everyone down but we must move forward. Most people never get what they truly want. George Bailey is a battered man, but the point is that his presence made others around him better people.
I was amazed yesterday when I read a thread on Slash film were readers were asked to list there favorite Christmas film and none listed this movie. This is the DEFINITIVE holiday movie! NO question about it! Also the welfare of ones community is important, at least I think so. Capatalism and pure greed in the United States has gotten us in big time trouble!
chuck
Bah humbug!
I hate this fucking movie, and I always have. How it became such a holiday “classic” has always bewildered me.
Good analysis, Matt!
It became a ‘classic’ because networks thought they could get away with airing it for free.
I couldn’t agree more — it’s a deeply sad movie of the accidental prophet who begrudgingly casts away all of his personal goals, aspirations & spirit of self-actualization to do “the right thing” & save this little town from the crooked banker who haunts him the entire film. Yes, in the end George helps/saves the lifes & homes of many of his townsmen — admirable & inspiring… But he does so with such great personal suffering & sacrifice that he nearly has a nervous breakdown.
So often in this movie I had wished for George Bailey to burst out & pursue his own dreams & happiness… Would any parent not want their child to follow their heart, their passions, their calling in life to realize their intrinsic value?… With the vigor & strength of George’s character in this film, does anyone wonder what he might have become or accomplished if he had broken out of Bedford Falls? — I do.