socialism gift wrapped in holiday cheer

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2006)

Though only modestly received in its initial release, as "It's a Wonderful Life" has aged the film has shown itself to be one of Frank Capra's crowning achievements. It follows the life of the good natured and highly philanthropic George Bailey, who yearns for what the world offers outside the boundaries of his small town of Bedford Falls. It's a sad tale of a middle-aged man full of regret, jaded by years of disappointment and dreams that never took shape.
Told mostly through back story, much of the narrative takes place between the two world wars, and exhibits a full emotional range, as it tells its highly moralistic tale of a dreamer beat down by the demands of reality. Shot in brilliant black and white, often with film noir style lighting and composition, Capra presents a story mostly about the plight of the working class, as they struggle against the repressive forces of capitalism. The fact that such a dark human drama can succeed at being simultaneously realistic and uplifting has made "It's a Wonderful Life" such an enduring film around the winter holidays, but it's far from being just a mere holiday morsel.