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Frank Capra's perennial holiday classic is one of the most beloved films of all time and the quintessential "Capraesque" comedy/drama. James Stewart is Bedford Falls banker George Bailey, who is driven by circumstances one Christmas Eve to consider suicide, only to be shown by neophyte angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) what a difference his life has made. Tremendous supporting cast includes Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Lionel Barrymore, Ward Bond, Beulah Bondi. Complete, uncut 130-minute version. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, DVS Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono French Dolby Digital mono, German Dolby Digital mono, Italian Dolby Digital mono, Japanese Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish; featurette; theatrical trailers. Two-disc set. Review: The classic holiday movie that gets better every time you watch it - 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. Review: A super great transfer in 1080P with color and black-and-white on a super movie what more can you ask - 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 desertcart 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
| Contributor | Beulah Bondi, Donna Reed, Frank Capra, Frank Faylen, Gloria Grahame, H.B. Warner, Henry Travers, James Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond Contributor Beulah Bondi, Donna Reed, Frank Capra, Frank Faylen, Gloria Grahame, H.B. Warner, Henry Travers, James Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond See more |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 20,095 Reviews |
| Format | Subtitled |
| Genre | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 2 hours and 10 minutes |
L**O
The classic holiday movie that gets better every time you watch it
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.
J**.
A super great transfer in 1080P with color and black-and-white on a super movie what more can you ask
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
D**M
Classic film, beautiful transfer
Fantastic film and a fantastic 4K transfer.
A**.
ONLY watch the ORIGINAL Black & White (or colorized) version
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.
G**L
Excellent movie and DVD presentation
Both DVDs are so clear and sharp - a wonderful picture on the TV and a wonderful movie too. I’m very pleased with this purchase. Both DVDs, the black and white and the color version, are full, original, unabridged versions.
L**Y
It's a wonderful movie
This is a Christmas tradition in our family. We especially like the colorized version.
S**N
A must-see for the whole family during the holidays and year-round!
I love this movie and watch it each year at Christmastime. Excellent writing and acting. And glad to see it in color, although the black and white version is just fine, too. This movie helps me realize what is truly important in life.
J**.
MY all time favorite movie. Great value.
My husband got this for me for Christmas. My all time favorite movie. Haven't watched the colorized version yet. Really looking forward to it though. Great buy for 2 dvds.
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