You’re too hard on Capra, and George who’s essentially the same character as Mr. Deeds, Mr. Smith, and Good Sam (Gary Cooper again)—an innocent, a lovely man who can’t help helping his fellow men. Call me naive, but I don’t see that as socialism. Their charity was personal, not collective and governmental. John Doe is closer to what you’re talking about, but even he is an innocent.
That prof should be counting his blessings he didn’t have this woman in his class. I’d have ripped him a new one -— on an intellectual level of course.
It’s a Wonderful Life is not just about George Baily. This is a movie that demonstrates how each of us touch and enrich the lives of others so subtly yet in such profound ways that we are often as blinded as Baily was.
The movie is Biblical without preaching; it’s uplifting; it’s inspiring. The plot focuses on a man who loses what he believes are true riches only to discover their superficiality. And through this discovery he wins everything. His soul is changed. How many of us can say that in real life?
As an aside: Does anyone who has seen this movie not quote Zuzu when they hear a bell ring?
I wish I could think of a logical rebuttal, but all I got is - It’s a Wonderful Movie’.
I can see where you think George Bailey is pushing "airy-fairy kumbaya socialism." But I don't think that is quite right either. He is pushing the Christian American Dream - do good, help your fellow man. It is he and his savings and loan helping people, not he assuming a government role and forcing his beliefs on the populace.
In conclusion, I think a lot of people miss the entire point of the movie, which is with God, everything is possible. It is so subtle that I think most people miss it. I get teary-eyed whenever I think about it. In the bar, George prays to God for help. Even though God is aware of him - in fact has been his whole life - it is not until George asks for his help does God step in with an angel. And then at the end, when George is on the bridge and his life is truely falling apart, he first prays to Clarence, with no effect. Only when he says, God help me, does he return back to his life and the snow starts to fall again.
Another thing I love about the movie is I think one of the earliest takes on an alternate reality. The world George is taken to actually exists in one of the trillions of possibilites of his life. He is taken to a world without him and it is indeed a tragic and scary place. All the lives he touched - Violet, his mother, Mary, Bert the cop, Ernie the cabdriver. Only Potter is the same and without George to be there, his evil is allowed to run rampant, corrupting everything.
I think I am going to see this movie again tonight.
Just saying you have a soft spot for Mr. Potter is bad enough - he is everything that is bad about capitalism today - basically making money off the misfortunes of others and [probably] having more money than he could spend in a hundred lifetimes.
People like Potter [and there are many] are what gives capitalism a bad name, but George Bailey epitomizes christian capitalism whereby he used his limited success to help his fellow man get a roof over his head and out of Potter’s high rent flop houses.
And George is smart enough to keep enough money back to allow the bldg and loan to survive and thrive as well even if it meant struggles for his family in a drafty old house. One where Mary Bailey turned a nearly condemned wreck into a shining jewel. You, sir, should be ashamed to equate anything George Bailey accomplished w/ socialism.
But then I knew I would not like nor agree with your post when you came out backing Potter. Cripes!