It’s been a while, I know, but for the holidays, I’ve decided to dip back in, hopefully to get back into the swing of things. And what better than to to touch on a Christmas classic--turning 75 this year, it's one of the big ones.
I'm sure we've all heard about this one—the one where the despondent guy is shown an alternate reality by a guardian angel where he was never born, and the impact he made. A lot of people might know that, despite not making a splash on its release, it did eventually rise to become a classic with TV runs circa the 60s. Many people I've bet have probably seen the now beyond tired parodies--you know the ones, where it turns out that everyone would be better off with the focal character dead, yadda yadda. But to look back on the movie now, that particular thread only really comes into play at the very end--and while there's what some might consider a touch of schmaltz, perhaps it's better earned than what some make it out to be.
After all, given when it was made and the subject matter, many might now expect it to be a sappy sanitized festive frolic. Director Frank Capra did have a run with literal wartime propaganda movies after all. Yet, once we get past the opening with its prayer montage and somewhat crude animation, the film doesn’t really hold back with touching on near death, financial frustration, and the all too real bitterness of not being able to focus on life’s dreams. Leading actor Jimmy Stewart was an officer in the Second World War, dealing with inevitable loss and tragedy, and it’s often said that he was able to channel some of that trauma and darkened past into his performance here. When he’s George Bailey at his absolute nadir, looking down into freezing waters…I can sure believe it.
Obviously, some of it is rooted in the attitudes of the forties and Capra’s own sentimental sensibilities, from characterization to the setting. Loan institutions of the kind seen here don’t really exist any more. The more overt religious elements are something most watchers in that decade wouldn’t really blink at. The casino and club-riddled alternate reality of Pottersville might seem like a tame dystopia at first, though between the slum housing and awareness of gambling exploitation, the darker elements become apparent with some consideration.
But for me, surprisingly, the fundamentals ring truer perhaps now than ever--uncertainty about life and self-worth, stability and the future, all that. A lot of people might be feeling more disconnected than ever in current times, but there's been periods of tribulation aplenty in the decades before that certainly help the film resonate in the seven decades since. George Bailey might get help from personalized divine intervention--but in the real world, that’s not exactly a guarantee, and I myself have felt more than ever the importance of keeping in touch and being there for those close the last two-odd years.
It might not be for everyone still, but watching it finally for the first time a while back, I was surprised myself at the more somber and sober tones, which make the emotional catharsis we get to see near the end pay off. It did help me personally see why, even when just sticking to old-timey Christmas cinematic staples, this one still sticks around.
Whatever you think of it, enjoy your holidays the best you can this year, and hopefully I’ll stick around yet.
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