It's evident, Christmas time would not be the same without It's a Wonderful Life on TV. This tale has it all: a pure hero named George Bailey, an evil character named Henry Potter (your typical greedy, heartless, crippled, fat banker who smokes cigars) and of course a happy ending. But IWL is in many respects an odd tale which has a special flavor in times of economical recession.
Today's re-interpretation of the film is interesting. For instance, during the meeting when occurs the vote to decide who will be the new head of the Bailey Building and Loan Association, Potter's seemingly selfish philosophy of not lending to those who can't afford to reimburse is opposed to Bailey's unlimited generosity, the latter believing strongly that anyone should be entitled to a loan, regardless of its financial situation. In our subprime era, Bailey's economical stance sounds a tad passé. On the other hand Potter would have a point in light of the reckless mortgage incentives that wrecked our economy.
The film wants to champion a "human capitalism" populated by unselfish people able to sacrifice themselves for the good of the community.
This economical optimism is well apparent in the abundance of dollar bills shown throughout the film. Money is the blood that runs through the vein of this Christmas flick. If it was to be remade nowadays surely the "mountain of cash" of the ending would be deemed indecent.
Another interesting thing is the journey to mental breakdown of the main character, patiently built with a succession of highs and lows that progressively leads Bailey up to suicidal thoughts. The mental erosion of the main hero and his change of nature as he struggles to keep his integrity and his dreams alive are so grim that it would deter most producers from investing a cent if the film was being done for the first time today. At the peak of his anger, James Stewart's portrayal of George Bailey is almost disturbing in the way the hero treats his kids for instance. This realistic approach of depression in a film with quite a few lighthearted moments (the ball scene, the angel's joviality, the overall positive tone of the film...) gives to the story its emotional depth.
All these elements are what makes It's a Wonderful Life such an unusual drama film. Part "Xmass cheese-cake", part tragedy, part twilight zone episode, it could have been a complete failure. Far from that it has become a timeless classic.
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