It's a Wonderful Life

One Christmas Eve, thirty years ago give or take, I woke up the house because I was watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on late night television (which was the only way to see it at that time) and as George Bailey ran back to the bridge to tell Clarence that he wanted to live again the station went to a commercial break. As Kenneth Burke said a long time ago, form is the creation of an appetite and the satisfying of that appetite in the mind of an audience. So there I was, getting all ready to start weeping when the snow starts to fall again, and suddenly I am being bombarded with commercials for the sort of projects that are only advertised in the middle of the night. One reason to own your own copy is that not only can you control the breaks, but you can also watch it any time you need a little Christmas. The general consensus is that "It's a Wonderful Life" is a timeless holiday classic, a black & white movie that NBC is proudly airing tonight on Christmas Eve once again, because of the point that Clarence Oddbody, AS2 makes to George when he tell him, "Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." The point is underscored as the film's benediction when Clarence writes that reminder in the copy of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and when Harry Bailey proposes a toast to his big brother George as "the richest man in town." The grand irony here is that the only person who does not know these things ends up being George Bailey himself, and the fact that Jimmy Stewart is perfect in the role does not hurt either. But I would contend that "It's a Wonderful Life" is also a timeless classic for the simple reason that it makes you cry even more the second time around. Once you have seen Frank Capra's 1946 film you cannot help but notice how everything in the nightmare sequence is set up earlier in the movie. Certainly you remember what happened with Mr. Gower and when Harry fell through the ice, but the first time through did you pick when Mary said she married George to keep from being an old maid? Once you know the story the whole opening litany of prayers ("Something's the matter with daddy") can get you chocked up. For me I lose it when young Mary leans over into George's bad ear and says, "George Bailey, I'll love you 'till the day I die" (and not because I am deaf in one ear either, but because I am a hopeless romantic). Like so many of the director's classic "Capra-corn" films, namely "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," and "Meet John Doe," the story of George Bailey is basically a crucifixion story. Voltaire once said that the crucifix represents the wise man assassinated, and in each of those films there is certainly a point where the hero is symbolically crucified in public: to wit, the impeachment in the Senate, the competency hearing, and the mass rally. But only George Bailey actually descends into Hell as he sees what the world would have been like if he had never been born. Such stories have become a commonplace on television ("Smallville" did it for Lex Luthor earlier this month and I have fond memories of the one "Moonlighting" did), and there are countless movies in which the main character gets a chance to see the road not taken. The genre goes back at least to "A Christmas Carol," but whereas Ebenezer Scrooge is the ancestor of Mr. Potter, George Bailey has always lived a good life. George is so selfless he claims he was the one that lost the money when he goes to Mr. Potter for help. The guy cannot help but do the right thing. Granted, there are some imperfections in this divine film, just as a Persian carpet always contains a flaw. For me the initial levity of Clarence as a blinking star is a bit too cute after the stage is set up by the people of Bedford Falls on bended knee entreating for divine intervention for George. But once Henry Travers shows up as Clarence in person that is rectified (I like the way he tells George, "You've never been born," as if what was about to happen was the most natural thing in the world. However, the errors I recall now with regards to this film are my own. The first couple of times I saw the film I thought that Mr. Potter showed up at the end to join in the festivities because the magic of Christmas was such that even his heart grew to the right size. For years I was convinced that when they are searching Uncle Billy's hovel for the missing money and it looks like somebody will be going to prison that George not only says "It's not going to be me," but adds "for once in my life it is not going to be me." The romance between Stewart's George and Donna Reed's Mary stands on its own: you could do a movie that ends with them on their wedding night and have a winner. Still, the reason that the ending is so glorious is that "It's a Wonderful Life" gets really dark before the dawn. The extreme closeup that Capra shoots of Stewart when the enormity of the fall hits George is absolutely harrowing, as is the terror in his face when the spinster Mary collapses and George has totally lost it, because we understand exactly what that means. In the end we come back to Clarenece's message because George's only problem is that he does not know this simple and profound truth (and because Mary and the people of Bedford Falls have taken care of the missing money regardless of Clarence's intervention). That is why this is a wonderful movie.

this movie is one of the best of its time it carries a Christmas movie moniker but it really isn't a Christmas movie although you can show it at Christmas time and it fits very well because this movie is offered in both color and black-and-white I feel it's time for a little history about this movie the fact is for political reasons this picture nearly wasn't made Frank Capra fell in love with this script he didn't really want to make a politically charged movie but that's what it ended up being you see the movie was written from the point of view of the Working Man and there's an awful lot of speech is that George Bailey gives that come off from the working man's point of view and aren't very complimentary of the banking industry so the political climate at the time these were fighting words and very unpopular so the funding for this movie was almost impossible to come by Frank Capra ended up having to finance it himself largely if not completely some of the details are a little foggy so because color was so drastically expensive it had to be shot in black and white the money just wasn't there to shoot it in Technicolor and the fact is that any movie shot in black-and-white meant time was strictly a financial reasoning not artistic decisions were made to shoot in black and white as was the case with any movie that wasn't expected to make the production cost back that it took the shooting color if you were to go back in time and offer the seed money to have these movie shot and color believe me they would have shot them in color it was not an artistic at all if you'll take the time to read your history you'll find out that I'm telling you the truth so all of this controversy about colorized movies really is quite laughable there's only 1 person I know of the shot in black and white for artistic reasons Woody Allen Mel Brooks in Young Frankenstein shot in black and white because the movie he was spoofing he was spoofing was originally shot in black and white shooting Young Frankenstein in color would have been totally inappropriate now onto the movie It's a Wonderful Life this is one of Jimmy Stewart's finest pictures and if you're Jimmy Stewart fan it's a must the transfer of this movie is absolutely excellent 1080p does it justice it literally jumps off the screen the sound is excellent the movie is blemishless remastering was a masterpiece Frank Capra is a genius and this movie is one of his finest works In almost anyone's opinion this is a must-have for anyone that serious about collecting these kinds movies the colorized version is excellent and 1080p makes it look even better you will not go wrong in buying this movie having both in the same package for this price and 1080p you just can't go wrong I bought this movie right before Christmas and Amazon delivered it on time intact and for a good price that you can't beat that please forgive my history lesson but I'm getting a little tired of hearing about the controversy about colorizing movies it's not like they're destroying the original black-and-white Masters when they do it they're not if you don't want to watch the colorized version give it away to somebody but this movie is a bargain at this price having both on two separate discs and not one on top of the other that's a disaster it's an absolutely excellent shot of Americana and frankly I'm a history nut and it's a pretty doggone accurate slice of Americana everyone should know what those times were like besides the movie is super entertaining warm and heartfelt I highly recommend it thank you for taking the time to read my review if you did I hope it's helpful

Favorite Christmas Movie. Arrived soon after I ordered it.

The original black & white version of this film is glorious. One of the best movies of all time. However, someone came up with an “abridged” version that cuts out the most pivotal scenes. Why? Because of some copyright issues. Money. DO NOT WATCH THE ABRIDGED VERSION. I cannot stress that enough. Only watch the full-length version with all scenes intact. If you prefer color, by all means go enjoy the full-length colorized version of the original. It’s a nice variation, especially if you don’t like b&w films. But by no means should you EVER consider the abridged version! As a side note, I have no idea why Amazon would show the same reviews for both of these versions. It’s so misleading! You’ll see all these 5-star reviews on the abridged version without realizing they were given for the original and not the abridged version. I’m posting this on the original b&w version. If you’re seeing it on the abridged version, that’s not where I put it! Amazon, please stop misleading people by combining reviews for different versions. Better yet, immediately remove and stop distributing or promoting the abridged version. The abridged version of this movie is an atrocity.

Una obra maestra lo mejor de capra y james stewart nominada a 9 premios de la academia Además 2 bluray versión blanco y negro y a color. Audio latino e inglés con subtitulos Es la historia de un hombre que renuncia a sus sueños por ayudar a los demás hasta que decide quitarse la vida al no ver otra salida Sin embargo le dan la oportunidad de ver el mundo sin que el hubiera nacido Y se da cuenta que al final no desperdicio su vida James stewart dijo que fue su película favorita Que más se puede decir

Un buon prodotto. Ci sono due dischi- uno in colore e uno nero e bianco

邪道・・・かな？！って思ったましたが、作品自体素晴らしい作品なので、全く違和感なく見ることが出来ました。

Director Frank Capra explored the theme of the innate goodness of the young at heart, as personified by James Stewart, overcoming the evil schemes of black-hearted older men once before in 1939s Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, a scathing attack on corruption and misuse of power as demonstrated by the Taylor machine; the combined power of local government, private industry and the mass media to manipulate public opinion and steam-roll the political affiliations of crooked magnate 'Boss' Jim Taylor. Both Capra and Stewart served in World War II and their first film together in peacetime would be 1946s It's A Wonderful Life which takes the ideals of Mr. Smith and blends them with elements of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol to examine the life of George Bailey, a man who sacrifices his personal ambitions for travel and adventure for the better of those around him in the sleepy town of Bedford Falls which he yearns to escape. The film also recapitulates the homespun wisdom and family values offered in Capra's first star vehicle for James Stewart, 1938s You Can't Take It With You in which he plays Tony Kirby the idealist son of wealthy and snobbish parents who disapprove of him dating the daughter of the highly eccentric neighbouring Sycamore family who don't share the Kirby's respect for money. All three films are great but Capra and Stewart's collaboration reaches maturity with It's A Wonderful Life and structurally, on balance, it is the better film. In fact the movie's plotting is what makes it so remarkable, a less ambitious director would have started at the scene where George Bailey reaches the end of his tether on Christmas Eve and contemplates suicide, as he is convinced his life insurance policy makes him of more value to his family dead than alive, and then flash back to reveal his past. Instead we arrive at this point a good hour into the film after we have observed the course of George's life from a young age courtesy of Clarence Oddbody's orientation as his Guardian Angel; if Clarence's mission to save George is successful it will earn him his wings. This episodic plot devices allows us to become very familiar with the folks who live in Bedford Falls and discover how the Bailey family Building and Loan Association founded by George's father, allowed so many of them to afford their own homes and escape the clutches of the merciless landlord Mr. Potter who owns the slums in which so many of them are forced to rent at extortionate prices. George has always hoped to leave the small town and pursue a life of adventure but we see how at potentially life changing moments he puts his own aspirations aside for the sake of his family and when his father dies circumstances see to it that he stays once more and takes over the day to day running of the Building and Loan firm. George marries his childhood sweetheart Mary and in a key scene they manage to avoid a mass panic after a run on the Bedford Falls bank leaves the Building and Loan in danger of collapse, they calm the local investors by issuing them all with bailouts from their $2,000 honeymoon fund; they settle in the town and raise a family and when he's unfit for duty in WWII George accepts his fate and he and the Building and Loan prosper. Until one Christmas Eve, while George is dealing with a company audit, his forgetfully Uncle Billy mislays $8,000 on route to deposit it at the bank and the money ends up in the hands of Henry Potter who grasps at the chance to fatally wound the Building and Loan and rid himself of the troublesome Bailey clan altogether. George is at his wits end when he is unable to trace the missing funds and fears prosecution, shame and scandal and decides his only option is end it all by jumping off a bridge when Clarence the Angel materialises and jumps first before George gets the chance. This is where the film's ingenious plotting comes to fruition, inspired by the spirit of a Dickensian Christmas this twist allows George to go back to Bedford Falls and see what things would have been like had he never lived. All the selfless good deeds that George did growing up are all undone and the town is a much worse place for it. James Stewart's raw emotional performance is totally authentic, unlike his naive Jefferson Smith's clumsy but heartfelt filibustering, we have shared George Bailey's life experiences and we know his sacrifices and disappointments and it makes his breakdown all the more believable, we can all empathise with this character and share in his realisation in begging to live again. George runs home to Mary and the children and is greeted by all of the townspeople who he has helped and who have prospered by the Building and Loan over the years and between them they more than cover the $8,000 deficit and as the Christmas morning bells chime Clarence the Guardian Angel finally gets his wings. It's A Wonderful Life has never looked more wonderful than on Blu-ray, the film which had suffered from some very ropey home video releases in the past, finally has a majestic 1080p transfer and a crackle free, albeit mono, digital soundtrack. There are no extras unfortunately and the only additional inclusion is the colourised version of the film, a practice I do not approve of and whilst it has been done very tastefully it only detracts from the power of the original black and white photography. Frank Capra is too easily dismissed as a sentimental filmmaker, earning the derisive term Capracorn which was often attributed to his pictures by unfavourable critics. However, his movies are rich, technically brilliant, cleverly scripted and superbly acted, usually by a repertory company including James Stewart, Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore and Edward Arnold. I sincerely hope that It's A Wonderful Life will not be the only Capra Blu-ray released as both You Can't Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington ought to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The only issue I had is the case came a little broken, other than that everything is good. Great classical movie. I can't wait to show this to my children around Christmas time.