The life is Beautiful. (1946) | RKO Radio Pictures
There is a belief that fairy tales belong to Christmas. At least in the Czech Republic this is still the case. In the more civilized countries of the world, however, they watch films that are both set during the holidays and emphasize the positive values that are associated with the given period. A prime example is the one mentioned above THE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL Frank Capra, who it is considered a holiday classic in the United States. The film, which premiered on Christmas 1946, gradually gained the position of a classic. The critical response was not enthusiastic, the audience did not go much, and of the five nominations for Oscars (film, direction, editing, sound and actor in the main role for James Stewart) not one was converted. The frequent presentation on television helped, also thanks to the fact that since 1974 the title has been in the public domain as a result of non-renewal of rights.
James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a severely depressed man who is convinced that his life has meaning by a second-rate angel. It will help if he shows him what would happen (to his neighbors, to the city) if he wasn’t there. What could be more Christmassy than saying that you shouldn’t kill yourself? If the synopsis sounds familiar, it’s probably because the film has been parodied in a number of other works over the years. Or it tells you something because it reminds you Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, in which the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Dark Shadow, and the Ghost of Christmas Future show a miserly moneylender what he was, what he can be, and what will happen if he doesn’t change.
