cleve callison’s blog

I know it’s fashionable for some people to dismiss Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life as mere Capra-corn, shamelessly manipulating the audience for sentimentality’s sake. It’s possible that some of these people have seen this Christmas favorite too many times. It’s also possible that they have never really seen it.

Regardless, I don’t worry much about the “message” of the film, except indirectly. I’m never persuaded that “this film shows that one person can make a difference.” Of course it does; that’s the way the screenwriters wrote it, for Pete’s sake. What does interest me is how the film draws us in to the characters and story. The writers and Capra, certainly; but special attention should go Joseph Walker’s cinematography and, above all else, the astounding acting of Jimmy Stewart.

Yes, he’s way too old for the part, at least the early scenes; but this is a fable, after all. What shines from the screen is the emotional honesty and conviction that Stewart brings to every scene. It’s impossible for me to imagine any other actor, of any time, pulling this off. (Well, maybe Tom Hanks, Stewart’s spiritual descendant).

I watched it again this Christmas season. I always look forward to my favorite scenes, and every now and again one will surprise me. I find myself drawn to earlier scenes rather than the attempted suicide/Clarence the angel scenes that are so much a part of the “story.”

7) Honorable mentions. IAWL is so full of the exuberance of life lived that it just bursts from the screen at odd moments. Two small things stand out for me: the crow that inhabits the Building and Loan office (why? on the other hand, why not?); and the unexpected laugh when rainwater pours out of George’s hat as he greets Bert at the door of his “bridal suite.” This is not a screwball comedy, but surely Capra’s background in that 30’s genre informs moments like this. And kudos, naturally, to Sesame Street for adopting the names Bert and Ernie.
[Update: The Wikipedia article on the movie notes that Jimmy the Raven was in all Capra’s films beginning with You Can’t Take it With You; and says that the Sesame Street connection was purely coincidental. I believe the former, but not the latter.]

6) George and Mr. Gower. This scene really hit me when I watched it recently. The young George prevents drunken Mr. Gower from accidentally poisoning one of his pharmacy’s clients. George’s pleas for  the old man not to hit his bad ear, combined with Gower’s remorse once he realizes what he almost did, are unexpectedly powerful.

5) High school dance: the Charleston. Just for the sheer exuberant delight of it. Watch George’s face as he does the old hands-crossing maneuver. Also note the framing of the shot where Mary sees George looking at her across a crowded room. There are dozens of people in the shot, but you can’t take your eyes off George.

4) High school dance: splash! OK, having George and Mary fall into the swimming pool is a plot point. But why have other students (and chaperones) jump in? Again — why not?

3) George confronts Potter. This is the ultimate Stewart-as-courageous-hero moment. Yes, there’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but this is the best of all. George is in mourning for his father, but provoked by Potter’s attempt to sink the Building and Loan, he rises to heights of eloquence and power when confronting the miserable, greedy wretch of a man Potter has become. If there’s a Capra political message in this film, it’s that ordinary people need to be given a chance to become productive members of society. I grew up in Gaffney, SC, a small textile town which is still suffering pathologies from the creation of Potter-like mill villages, so this speaks to me. Stewart cannot possibly be more heart-felt and convincing.

2) George and Mary on the phone. This had to have been a Capra favorite. George is trying mightily to resist Mary’s charms (and she knows it). But his stubbornness melts before their mere proximity as they listen to the speaker tube of the old-time phone (great use of a prop, by the way). The way George moves (is pulled) closer to her millimeter by millimeter is incredibly . . . well, stirring, in its chaste way.

1) George at the train station. My favorite of all. Stewart’s acting skill and the cinematography of the tracking shot that follows him down the platform are unsurpassed. George thinks that the arrival of his brother means he will at last be able to give up the Building and Loan. But after meeting Harry’s new bride he realizes that won’t happen. Stewart’s face is the perfect canvas for Capra to paint the conflicting emotions of happiness for his brother and despair for himself as full realization dawns.

If there were no other scene in the movie, this would be enough to know that there’s high artistry here. But It’s a Wonderful Life has so many of these that it’s the best possible Christmas film.