Frank Capra directs James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore in this festive classic where a family man feels trapped by his small town existence… and when he reaches a suicidal low ebb on Christmas Eve he is visited by an angel.

Wears the trappings of “Christmas”, “small town”, “family”, “duty” to absolutely grind a man down. Most of It’s A Wonderful Life is brutal. George Bailey is deafened, slapped and weigh down every time he does the right thing. Bedford Falls is a hell of small, cosy cuts. Like In The Mouth Of Madness I wouldn’t be surprised that if James Stewart tried to cross that bridge rather than jump off it he wouldn’t be looped back to the Savings & Loans. Fantasy aspects aside, I always mistakenly assumed Capra was a socialist at heart. Yet after reading Five Came Back by Mark Harris I’m reappraising my surface level take on the auteur. He’s a populist. As enamoured with fascism as he is with community. In his view of America, the one outstanding individual makes change and holds his finger in the dyke against corruption. The general population are fickle and just as capable of tearing the dam that protects them all down as repairing it. They need a messiah, a special one, a Mr Smith, John Doe or George Bailey. Need him to do the heavy lifting, the smart thinking, take their hits once a scapegoat is required. It’s a terrible life being one of Capra’s outstanding good guys. Merry Christmas from the mob.

10

Perfect Double Bill: Lost Horizon (1937)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/