Isn't Life Wonderful (1924)

 D.W. Griffith's "Isn't Life Wonderful"


Following the failure of "America" the same year, D.W. Griffith adapted a Geoffrey Moss short story, "Isn't Life Wonderful" to the big screen. It follows the trails and tribulations of an immigrant Polish family as they try to navigate a post-war Germany. The film was extremely relevant in 1924, as it was only a few years after the first World War had completed. However, it's relevancy did not mean box office success. 

Throughout the film, this Polish family face currency devaluation, inflation, food shortage, lack of housing, and near starvation. All throughout the film, we see the family try and be resilient, even though life continues to make a mockery of their hopes. Everytime it seems like they have something good going for them, something occurs that knocks them down a peg once more. What we discover, as a viewer, is that their happiness stems from the little victories surrounding the hardship and suffering. Each time they experiece a small moment of hope or even a silver lining, they exclaim, "isn't life wonderful?" 

D.W. Griffith, in taking a break from his epic-scale historical pieces, focuses on contemporary issues. However, he still brings a familiar theme to this picture. Even though other immigrant families are in the same rut as our protagonists, they still pose as antagonists in the story. At the very end, one group of men steal all the family's potatoes they've been growing througout the spring. Their excuse for this is that war has forced them into this state of savagery. The theme of anti-war is apparent in all of Griffith's pieces. Often, the intolerance and inhumanity of others allows for violence and aggression against your fellow man. This film also asks those dealing with the economic downfall of World War I to have some empathy for those in suffering, while at the same time telling those who are suffering to never lose hope.

Despite its focus on contemporary issues, audiences did not show up to see the film. It did received some positive critical assessments at the time, which has only grown throughout the decades. However, this film typically gets lost in the reminisces of Griffith's work. Despite this, it remains in intimate tale of hope; seeing the bright side and humanity in times where none seem to be in sight.



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