It's a Wonderful Life is one of the greatest films ever made. I don't even have a top 100 list yet, but I definitely believe that this film will be in the top 10 or even the top 5. This was the perfect film to watch on Christmas, and the best Christmas film ever made. Additionally, there are many factors on why this film is a beautiful masterpiece.

One factor that I truly loved about this film had to be the fantastic screenplay, which was well written and paced. It's a Wonderful Life introduces us to a man named George Bailey. When George was younger, he saved his younger brother, Harry from a frozen lake. This caused him to lose all of his hearing on his left ear. As George grows up, he has dreams of going around the world. He meets a girl named Mary at a high school dance. They start to talk and try to bond with each other. Mary dreams about renovating the Granville house, so she could live there one day. However, George hears some bad news that his father has passed away from a stroke. After hearing this, George's dreams are shattered because he planned to travel around the world. The company that his dad worked for was the Bailey Building and Loan institution, and George had to take over. The great part of this job was that he could continue his father's legacy as well. Many of the people living in Bedford Falls knew George as a kind, caring, and loving man in the community. Some issues arose with the company because there was a greedy man named Henry Potter. Potter only cared about being rich and never cared about the people of Bedford Falls. George made sure that Potter would never gain control of his father's company. Aside from that, George was able to marry his beloved Mary, and the majority of the community fought in the war, especially his younger brother as well. The climax of this film starts to arise when we see some issues. The Bailey Building and Loan Institution needed money in order for it to stay open. Since there is no solution, this involves Mary giving up their money in order for the people to receive their payments. Additionally, Potter tries to offer George a job to help with the company, but he does not accept it. George's main focus was to make his community happy, so he decided to build many homes for the people to live in. The bank examiner arrives at the building one day, and is expecting a payment to be given to him soon. The problem is that Uncle Billy ends up losing the money that was needed. George becomes enraged and gets mad at his own family due to how furious he was. He goes to the bar and prays that everything will be fixed. This scene alone was so heartbreaking because George cared about his father's company with his dear heart. In the bar, he even gets punched by Mr. Welch. The result of this involves George wanting to end his own life by jumping off the bridge. However, an old man jumps in and he saves him. This man was actually George's guardian angel, Clarence. At first, he doesn't believe it, and with his own anger, George wishes that he was never born. This would take a turn for the worst because it results in many consequences. The whole community does not remember him, including his own wife. George regrets his actions deeply and runs back to the bridge. He wants his own life back, and suddenly everything is back to normal. He is reunited with his family, but also there is something even better that happens. He arrives back home to people coming to his own house. The people donate all of their money to George and he even receives a donation of $10,000. This was enough money to pay off the bank examiner. The ending of this film was so heartfelt and joyful. Additionally, this is why the screenplay is perfect. We see the ups and downs of life, but at the end, being happy is what results in feeling alive.

Another factor that I loved about It's a Wonderful Life had to be the characters. My favorite performance in that whole film alone had to be James Stewart's portrayal of George Bailey. This performance was so emotional and outstanding. I loved his facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. There were so many scenes from him that were extremely crucial to this film. His performance just felt so deep and resonated with me in so many ways. George's character dynamic is outstanding because we get to see these impactful decisions and changes that he has to make. Another performance that was my favorite had to be Donna Reed's portrayal of Mary Bailey. Reed does an amazing job of using her emotions to be a supportive wife to George. I loved that you could see her facial expressions clearly, and you can tell how much she cared about him. They both had this wonderful chemistry together, which felt so authentic and important for the film's message itself.

The last factor that stood out to me had to be the cinematography and practical effects. There are so many beautiful shots in this film, even if it was released during the 1940s. My favorite shots of this film had to be the close ups, the wide shots, and the tracking shots. The close ups were extremely impactful in bringing the plot forward because it highlighted the character's emotions. An example of this is when George ends up crying, since he was sad that he could not save his father's company. As the camera is only focused on his face and body language, you can see this moment of despair that George is in. He prays to God because he wants to save his father's legacy. This scene was so heartbreaking because George was almost about to commit suicide. The close up shot at the end has to be one of my favorite shots in this film. After the consequences of George's wishes, his life returns to normal, due to Clarence playing a big factor in that. The beauty of this shot focuses more on the emotional aspect of the scene. As George is reunited with his family again, he is joyful that he is with his children again. He realizes that his life is worth living, and regrets his actions. For the wide shots, these shots represented the beauty of the set pieces. My favorite shots were the night time ones especially when it was Christmas.

Seeing the wide block filled with falling snow, and the lights was heartwarming. For the tracking shots, this shot made me so happy because George's happiness is expressed in this scene. As George realizes that his life is back to normal again, he runs through the streets of Bedford Falls and yells with happiness. The practical effects and set design of this film are phenomenal. I loved the older styled architecture and vintage style to them. The community of Bedford Falls was beautiful, especially in the city. There was such a wonderful variety of stores, restaurants, and work buildings.

It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most perfect films ever made. We see such a deep connection between family values and self love. James Stewart's performance is both heartfelt and saddening at the same time, but at the end he was able to live a happier life. Watching this film makes me realize that happiness is the key to why I am here today. Film makes me happy, so if it weren't for film, I don't know where I would be today. This is by far the greatest Christmas film of all time.

"Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!" - George Bailey (James Stewart)