Don't you think it would be wonderful to get rid of everything and everybody and just go someplace where you don't know a soul?

Haruki Murakami

Depression. According to Merriam Webster, depression is "a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way." As of 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental health care need increased from 9.2% to 11.7%. Increases were largest among adults aged 18–29 years and those with less than a high school education, according to an article that was posted by the CDC in April 2021. Given the staggering number of people contributing to the already growing prevalence of people suffering from depression, there isn't a single major reason why someone would develop depression or any other serious illness. It is a very complex disease, and there are a million reasons why one would have to sadly have this battle. You name it. Anything can contribute to one's depression. family history, conflicts, age, stress, etc. Not to mention all the various forms of depression one can have. Major depression Bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and a ton of others.

To quote writer Mark Waid on his daredevil run, "Depression is a living thing. It exists by feeding on your darkest moods, and it is always hungry. " Anything that challenges it Anything-it wants that thing to stop. Anything that makes you happy, or anyone who brings you joy, will drive it away, allowing it to grow unhindered. "Its primary goal is to isolate you." (source) At its worst, it will literally paralyze you rather than allow you to feel anything at all. At its worst, you are numb. You are drained. " I was going to write about how it feels to have depression, as I myself, sadly, deal with it from time to time and do not self-diagnose, but it seems, because of my genes and some professionals I've talked to, I suffer from bipolar depression and seasonal depression. However, I thought I quoted the form of the fictional character I really relate to the most. But not only that, but that quote, as I have the panel that this is written on saved on my phone for when I'm battling said demon. Because Quiet frankly, no matter what I could've written, that description perfectly captures that numbness, that dark void. I feel that internal feeling of inadequate helplessness that I feel inside and always rereading it always makes me feel less alone. Even though he is a fictitious character, Matt Murdoc just really makes me feel less alone. Sadly, as much as he understands what it's like to battle such demons, the feelings of doubt never go away completely every year. Every day it's still there and even during the Christmas season, it returns the hardest. However, throughout all those holiday blues, there's one movie that's always there around Christmas time to remind me how wonderful my life really is.

It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American fantasy drama produced by Frank Capra and is based on the short story called The Greatest Gift of All, written by Philip Van Doren Stern, and follows the story of the life story of a young and promising man by the name of George Bailey. The young George Bailey is a smart, considerate, self-less young man who dreams of exploring the vast open world and going to college one day to get out of his small, dusty town and to escape from falling into his dad's bank and loaning business. But like most of us with big dreams, life seems to always throw us a curve ball and we don't always get what we want. Thus, sadly, is the fate of the young George Bailey. In light of all this Georges that have occurred over the years as a result of the overwhelming pressures of family obligations, bills, work, and everyday struggles that we all face, especially in the year of our Lord 2021, George gets depressed. Wistfully To the point, George not only contemplates suicide, but he also nearly attempts it by jumping off a bridge. However, he can even get the chance to fully go through with it. Our friend George gets some divine intervention from his guardian angel named Clarence.

I know there's a lot that's been said about this movie, and honestly, I don't really know if I can add anything new to the conversation. But I can still try It's a Wonderful Life is not only a Christmas classic, it truly is a masterpiece of cinematic art. It's visually stunning. The cinematography is a spectacle for the eyes. The black and white photography never made it look more beautiful. The black and white really gives it that nostalgic, warm, fuzzy feeling of my own childhood Christmases. It's beautifully scored. The acting is absolutely phenomenal. Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, and Ofcorse were the main stars, along with one of the best actors to ever touch the silver screen, James Stewart. Having said that, I believe the best aspects of this film are the story and the character of George Bailey.

I know there's a lot that's been said about this movie, and honestly, I don't really know if I can add anything new to the conversation. But I can still try It's a Wonderful Life is not only a Christmas classic, it truly is a masterpiece of cinematic art. It's visually stunning. The cinematography is a spectacle for the eyes. The black and white photography never made it look more beautiful. The black and white really gives it that nostalgic, warm, fuzzy feeling of my own childhood Christmases. It's beautifully scored. The acting is absolutely phenomenal. Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, and OfCourse were the main stars, along with one of the best actors to ever touch the silver screen, James Stewart. Having said that, the best aspects of this film are the story and the character of George Bailey.

George Bailey is one of the best movie protagonists in western cinema. He is both simple and complex. As Geroge, at the surface level, is the prototypical everyman, the working-class hero with a heart of gold, but sad because of his misfortune, George is generous, intelligent, cunning, and heroic in nature, but what is great about him as well is that he is human. He is self-assured at times, hateful, bitter, and sometimes prone to anger and outbursts. However, that is what's so great about him. He's human, like all of us. No matter how hard we try to be the best people we can be at times, we are human, and we fail. We can have our hateful moments. We all have maybe yelled at a loved one by accident when we were stressed or having a difficult day. We can be selfish about our own needs and believe that we do not deserve good things to happen to us. We are human, and so is George Bailey. However, to refer to earlier in the review, the most relatable thing about George Bailey is how his depression is portrayed in the movie. It just doesn't happen overnight. During the movie, you follow the life of George from his childhood schoolyard days to his present adult life, and during this journey, you get small but very noticeable indications that George is battling anxiety and depression.

However, the most relatable thing to me is George's thoughts on wishing to never have been born and how everyone would be better off without him. I have thought and said many things about my own existence and have completely been in the shoes of poor George Bailey, if not even in worse shape, but the message and central theme of this movie conveys when Clarence takes George on a journey of discovery and recognition by showing George that even with the smallest gesture he has ever made in his life, he has made a major impact on every single person in his life and that without him, the world and everyone around him is miserable. On top of that, the ending, when George finally realizes his worth, always gets me crying.

The ending always gets me and even at my lowest, this film always makes me think about my own existence and every little thing I do, as if there was a clarity to show my own alternate reality if I was never born, and honestly, it makes me think I do matter somewhat, and I truly do have a wonderful life.

Merry (late) Christmas, and a Happy New Year to everyone!!!!

P.S. I cried this movie is amazing. Please give it a watch if you can. Happy holidays everyone and stay safe!! - Moechi :)