Movie: It's A Wonderful Life

This is another one of the movies that has become so iconic and famous that it's necessary to see it for that reason. It pops up in so many lists and discussions that it is unavoidable. Which of course also means that it's difficult to watch it just as any other movie.

"It's a wonderful life" is the great Christmas movie. It features God in an important (but small) part, and it's Frank Capra's most well-known movie (but not the best).

It tells the story of George Bailey, who has lived all his life in a small US town, starts doubting that he is worth anything. His dreams are shattered, his life's work in ruins and already in the opening scenes of the movie, he is standing on a bridge, planning suicide. "God" does not want that to happen, and sends an angel to convince George he should not end his life - after all, it's a wonderful life.

It is a moving story, which works okay even 65 years later. My main problems with it is probably due to its age: it does meander its way through the story a bit too slowly and it is a bit too simplistic - there is never much doubt who are the good guys and who are the bad.

So: as so often: it's certainly not the best movie I've seen, but I'm glad to have finally seen it, as it is a classic that any film buff should know...

It's a wonderful life (1946)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)