Reflections on “It’s a Wonderful
Life”
Directed by Frank Capra
Based on a short story by
Philip Van Doren Stern
Screenplay by Frances
Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling
and Frank Capra
Starring James Stewart,
Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers
The entire premise of
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is rooted in Depression and pre-war issues and
attitudes. Times were hard for working people after the Wall Street crash of
1929, the effects of which continued to be felt for the following 25 years, and
it only served to accentuate and exacerbate social and financial divisions of
the period.
With this context in mind
we arrive at Bedford Falls, a small American town, to follow the story of
George Bailey, a small-time American businessman, at various points in his
life, leading to the moment of crisis where he feels he can’t go on …. and
receives help from Clarence Oddbody, angel second class who has yet to gain his
wings.
After a couple of
flashback sequences, we pick up George’s story when he’s about to head off for
college which he sees as his gateway to future success. He expresses youthful
ambition and aspirations, wanting to build imposing structures, bridges and
towns, making a concrete and visible mark on life and gaining varied and
valuable experience of life and the world.
However, circumstances,
combined with a sense of duty and obligation, mean that George’s dreams of
experience and success will be constantly postponed ….
This contrasts somewhat
with the most successful businessman in town, the ageing banker Henry Potter.
For Henry Potter, the
people and businesses to whom he lends money or rents accommodation are merely
a means of developing his wealth, power and influence. He is portrayed as
opportunistic and devoted to self-aggrandisement, failing (or refusing) to
recognise that building a successful business can be viewed as the means of
developing, supporting and reinforcing society, and not simply as an end in
itself.
In contrast to Mr
Potter’s hard-hearted approach to business, we have Bailey Bros. Building and
Loan Association, founded by George’s father Peter and his uncle Billy. These
businessmen do not seek to get rich but are content to make a modest profit
while helping their neighbours and customers escape the clutches of potentially
heartless and greedy landlords by offering them loans which allow them to
become independent home-owners.
The variance in approach
and attitude between the two is summed up in the scene where Potter proposes
the liquidation of Bailey Bros. He mocks and belittles taxi driver Ernie Bishop
and refers to the working class as a potentially discontented and lazy rabble
if they were to gain access to the means of home-ownership. This stirs George
to respond that the “rabble” are largely responsible for the everyday workings and
smooth running of society and that it’s not too much to enable them to enjoy
decent living conditions and help them leave Potter’s slums. He also suggests
that home-ownership makes for better citizens and better customers.
This scene, perhaps more
than any other in the film, may be said to articulate and encapsulate director
Frank Capra’s views of the social and financial situation of the time. There
had been vaguely similar challenges in some of his previous films but none, I
think, quite as clear-cut in its observations and criticism as this one. It is perhaps
unsurprising that the FBI listed this film as suspected communist propaganda
from 1946 to 1956.
The suggestion appears to
be that there are two types of capitalism – one based on pure financial
commercialism wherein anything goes in an attempt to maximise profit and
minimise accountability, and the other in which social awareness and
responsibility are taken in to account. Bedford Falls and its population are
society in microcosm with fellow inhabitants lending one another a hand and
each making a contribution to their community. Frank Capra is clearly on the
side of the “little men” who make a relatively small but cumulatively essential
contribution to the workings of society and their neighbours’ lives.
Although George is held
up by his friends as a paragon of altruism, humanity and selflessness, it
should be borne in mind that he had ambitions to travel, gain experience of the
world and make his mark through construction and design. He has known inner
conflict as he was aware that his personal desires and ambitions were
sacrificed to instinctive values and principles, leading to a vague sense of
failure or lack of fulfilment. Yet, even when he faces ruin (when uncle Billy
misplaces $8000, found and retained by Potter) and is tempted by Potter’s offer
of personal wealth and “success”, he cannot bring himself to abandon the
principles on which his company was founded and by which he has lived his life.
He chooses principle over personal advancement and security and as such acts as
Frank Capra’s beacon of light in what he saw as the darkness of commercial
opportunism.
However, all too aware of
the devastating effects of bankruptcy and overcome by a sense of failure and
the prospect of scandal and ruin, George considers suicide in a desperate bid
to cover his apparent losses and leave his family financially secure by way of
a life insurance policy. It is at this point that he meets Clarence, angel
second class, who will change George’s perspective on his life as he affords
George the privilege of seeing how his community would have turned out without
his input.
George (and we, the
viewers) come to realise the extent of each person’s impact and influence on
others’ lives. George learns of his input (simply by being himself and
intermixing with others) on the lives of his wife, mother, family, neighbours,
colleagues, customers, friends, strangers (lives are saved indirectly due to
the impact of his actions) and even the very tenor of his home town. Clearly,
Frank Capra is pointing out that we all influence and impact on the lives of
those around us, indeed ultimately we depend on one another for the continuance
and survival of our society, and as such we should, perhaps, be mindful of the
way we conduct ourselves and treat one another.
George’s gloomy
perspective is altered by Clarence’s intervention and while he sees and
appreciates his own positive influence on those around him, there remains the
matter of the missing $8000 ….
Here, Capra returns to a
motif common to several of his films – the value of friendship and respect.
George’s many friends (including all those who hold him in high regard or feel
he has done them a service in the past) pitch in and bail him out of trouble.
Capra clearly believes in people and their innate goodness and willingness to
help and support one another, if they have not been corrupted by greed, power
and influence. Just as George acted out of compassion, humanity and community
spirit to positively influence others’ lives, so his friends are willing to act
similarly with each making a relatively small contribution to make a big impact
on his life.
The gaining of respect,
good will and affection may be viewed as a sign of success in life, as opposed
to the accumulation of money, power and influence at the expense of genuine
wealth of friendship, family and esteem. George felt this applied to his father
when he told Potter that Peter Bailey was a richer man than he would ever be.
Perhaps Clarence helps George realise this tenet applies equally to him.
Through the device of
Clarence and his heavenly overseers (although this is treated lightly and
playfully), Capra appears to express an affirmation of the existence of a system
of omniscient and paternal supervision and care. He avoids reference to
organised religion, indeed at one point as George turns to God in desperation
he states that he is not a praying man, but this underpinning structure lends
the film a moral assurance and substance while supporting a conviction that
mankind is essentially good and responds to love and respect.
While eminently worthy
and admirable, this “message” and the means of delivering it were perhaps
somewhat at odds with the jaded and existential realism of the immediate
post-war period and as a result the film did not do very well at the box-office
on its initial release. However, with the passage of time and the softening of
existential attitudes, audiences became more receptive to the fantasy element
and viewed the themes of perspective and personal and social value and input as
timeless and universal, eventually according the film cult status. Of course,
circumstances, themes and attitudes in the film may have resonated with more
recent audiences given the reach and consequences of the financial crisis of
2008 (and ever since!).
Some Capra films appear
breezy and light in their first half before becoming more hard-hitting and
thoughtful in their second half. In the case of this film, another transition
(with the fantasy element) is brought in to play, and it works!
The film has been accused
of being simplistically optimistic and even idealistic at the end, yet there
are some tough and thought-provoking scenes and themes before we reach that
point. It may not have fallen in with the vogue for post-war realism and moral
challenge, but there is surely a place for a carefully developed and thoughtful
piece which offers hope and a way forward in times of despair.
The script engages,
entertains and advances characterisation and storyline in every scene while
Capra’s stock players lend a comfortable and familial atmosphere in their
almost joyous interplay. James Stewart’s performance makes you feel the gamut
of emotional response as he goes from innocence and hope to disappointment and
frustration, to love and elation. It is certainly one of his best performances,
maybe even his greatest.
My thanks for taking the
time to read this page. I hope you found it of some value.
Stuart Fernie
I can be contacted at stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk
.
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