It’s a Wonderful Life at 75: A Christmas Lesson Left on the Cutting Room Floor
Powerful, provoking article. I've watched the movie since 1988 and haven't ever pondered all of these insights . . .
"But for the
powerful prayer of others … and divine intervention, George would never have
learned his value. Remember, George did not know his wife and friends were
running around town collecting money to save him.
Capra’s
genius was not the plot device of George seeing what life without him would
have been like for his beloved Mary and the town of Bedford Falls. It was
spending the first three-quarters of the film hurling George Bailey toward
destruction. Even amid the countless delightful moments, Capra is tightening
the screws. Watch the film beginning to end without commercials and feel the
tension build.
What makes
the movie powerful is not the angel Clarence guiding George around town. It’s
the devil whispering in George’s good ear until Clarence’s arrival. The same
whisper so many of us hear."
Read the entire article here by Al Perrotta at The Stream.
