Creation of films in the ancient times enabled people to tell stories that mimic the real life events. Drama films enable viewers to laugh a lot and relive stress in the long run. In 1946, Frank Capra produced a creative drama film named It’s a Wonderful Life . I chose this film and watched it via Hulu TV. The movie enabled me to know key characters that featured in this tantalizing film. While appreciating its in-depth encouraging aspects, the film enabled me to comment, make comparisons, conclude and outline my criteria for a quality film.
Part 1
Frank Copra produced an eye catching film which made me to relieve stress as I watched it. The film starts on Christmas Eve with James Stewart contemplating to commit suicide from the hard life tribulations he was passing through. As Stewart is thinking to end his life, his prayers are heard in heaven. I paused and reflected the days in my lives when I have been undergoing challenges, but suicide never crossed my mind. I questioned how weak is Stewart to end his life. True men work hard and pray when they are faced with challenges. Nevertheless, I continued to watch the film. An angel with no wings in heaven known as Henry Travers hears Stewart’s prayers. The angel without wings is tasked with saving the life of Stewart before committing suicide. How can an angel lack wings? This is the question I was asking me while critiquing the film. As I continue watching, I learn that tribulations of Stewart started when his father died and was left to manage his family business and repay the outstanding loans that his father had left. A greedy banker named Lionel Barrymore intends to close the business that Stewarts was left to manage. At this point I imagined how people in real live never want to see anyone succeeding; i was able to make reference to our daily lives. As years pass, Stewart marries Donna Reed and they are blessed with children. At this point, I can say that the film never told us what happened in between the many years left. I think the writer of the film lacked creativity that could be added.
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The film also says, one Christmas eve, Thomas Mitchell gives company money to Barrymore, the greedy banker. At this point I critiqued the film, because during Christmas times, many companies and banking institutions are always closed for families to bond and celebrate together. As I continue to watch the film, Barrymore secretly keeps the money he was given by Mitchell. Subsequent days pass, and bank examiners discover that the money is missing. After the loss of the money by the bank, Stewart undergoes financial tribulations. I questioned how can a bank negligence can be passed to its customer, secondly banks have insurance against money loss and thirdly, Barrymore could have been held liable for the loss. This point showed how some banks lack prudent internal control measures. Stewart is depressed with the shortcoming and goes to a bridge trying to end his life. The angel appears to him and tells him the consequences of the suicide and adverse implications to his dependents like the children. Stewart resends his decision and goes back to his house, only to be received by family and friends who donated lots of money to cover for the missing deposit at the bank.
The film comes to an end with a happy ending story of Stewart becoming the richest person in his community because of the donation he received. I want to make immense comparison to the latest movies I have watched. The recent film is Black Box produced by John Brister. The film has a runtime of 90minutes compared to It’s a Wonderful Life film which has a runtime of 130minutes. Longer films tend to tell the entire story to the viewers compared to shorter films which always leave the viewers in suspense. The film directed by Capra has many cast characters while the film directed by Brister has only six characters featuring in the film. Capra could have reduced the number of cast and reduce runtime. Having a large cast can negatively impact the profits realized from sale of the film. A large cast will receive a lower sharable profits compared to a film which has a smaller cast. In the 1946 film, the camera angle is worm’s eye which presents characters in the film to be large. In the latest movie I have watched, the camera angle is always eye-level which allows the viewers to get personal with the characters featuring in the film. Bridging shot of the two films is different. Capra film has no bridging shot while in the Black Box film, the producer lets the viewer’s know how the time passed in the film. If I was Capra, I could enhance camera angle by using eye-level and use of bridging shot to enhance viewer’s realistic view and appreciation of the film.
Capra maximizes the use of signs everywhere in the film. This enhances scene augmentation. The use of no sign enables the characters in film know where to comfortably enter and relax. Brister in his movie used less signs in the movie. If it was me, I must use a lot of signs in a film to create unique metaphors and help viewers to understand abstract ideas that cannot be translated into words by the cast. Color is also an important aspect in filming. Capra film was black and white while Brister film is colored. Color makes viewers to feel the real presence of the character. It also enhances vibrancy of a film. Also different colors makes the viewer’s to know what the film communicates. Example golden colors attribute richness while white colors portray love in the film. If I was to create a film, I could adopt the use of a large variety of colors to enhance communication. Capra mostly uses freeze technique when Barrymore wants to make a point to Clarence. Brister on the hand uses little freeze frame techniques because modern viewers are not impressed by the use of freeze. If I was for me, I could use many freeze frames to pause stories for extra composition from viewer’s perspective. Also, freeze frames helps producers and directors to capture the attentions on the viewer’s therefore make them to concentrate and understand the meaning of the film. Capra used dissolve film method which enabled transition of from one shot to the other while the first image fades away and the second image shot is strengthen. I rarely saw the dissolve method being used by Brister. Dissolve filing method enables the film to enhance memories, daydreams, long distance communications and passing time of the film. Both movies used excellent sound to disseminate information to the viewer’s. Sound enhances clarity on the words spoken by the characters starring the film. Capra lighting was on average. Brister enhanced a balanced lighting that defined the genre of the film. Lighting is important in capturing the actor’s eye.
Part 2
I like Frank Capra film because he tried to portray the moral issues that people pass daily in their lives. Capra filmed about suicide as a major concern in the community and the importance of prayer, family and friends. In this film, when Stewart finds that the company deposit was missing at the bank, he started to indulge in excessive drinking of alcohol. Capra also teaches that alcohol is not the remedy of our life’s problems. In turn, Capara advocates for praying to God when we face life problems. In the film, Stewarts prayer was heard in heaven by an angel named Travers. At this point the angel came and saved him from committing suicide at the bridge. Capra also teaches us that friends and families should help someone when they are faced by immense life problems. When Stewart went back after withdrawing his decision to commit suicide, he was received by family and friends who brought him gifts and monetary donations. Also, Capra tried to tell us that some banks have inadequate internal control measures to curb cases of internal theft. In general I have liked Capra’s film in trying to tell us that suicide is a major concern in our society.
The character I liked in this film is James Stewart. This is because when his father died, he sets aside his dreams of touring the world so that he can he can manage and run the family business and outstanding payable loans. Family affairs should be the highest priority for any man when his parents are no longer there. Secondly, I like the actor because as he is contemplating to commit suicide, he also prays to God to rescue him from the hurdles he was undergoing. Praying when we face challenges in life is the way to go. I also like when Stewart develops emotional distress when he learnt of the money loss. The actor acted real by crying and starts to drink alcohol. I also like Stewart because I always have sympathy on people who are undergoing inner turmoil’s. I also like Stewart because he changed his mind and withdrew his decision to take his own life through suicide.
In conclusion, the film gave me a sense of appreciating the need of praying when face with difficulties in our life’s. Also, suicide made me to realize that there is need for people to detect victims who are contemplating suicides and helping them. Alcoholism is a major factor that makes people feels suicidal when they are experiencing turmoil’s in their personal lives. The film made me also to judge the integrity of some bank and its employees. There is need for adequate internal control measures to deter cases of money theft inside the banks. In life there are obstacles that always derail us from advancing to the next level. From the movie, Stewart wanted to leave his hometown and leave his big dreams somewhere else. I have developed a sense of patience in life even if I have immense pressure and challenges. The film also made me to realize that some people in our life’s have greed and never wants us to succeed, as we saw Barrymore plot the downfall of Stewart. In the modern era, Cyberbully is a film directed by Chanan, is an example of film genre that entails life suffering and suicide by the main character starring the film. It’s important for filmmakers to continue casting films that have suicides and methods how to avoid them. In the modern era, depression among youth is of concern and filmmakers must continue to research on films that provide educational awareness of suicide.
My Criteria for Quality Film
The theme of the film must contain clear message.
The lessons learnt from the film should solve societal moral problems.
The film must contain good characters that are loved by viewers.
A film must contain a happy ending.
