Frank Capra
Frank Capra
RANKED:
10. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
Frank Capra's "The Bitter Tea of General Yen" plays out like "Beauty and the Beast." The 'Beast,' however, turns out to be our protagonist's preconceived notions about the Chinese. At first, she views General Yen as a shrewd monster, but the more she gets to know him, the more she understands and connects with him. Misguided assumptions and judgements get examined throughout the film, leading to some revelations about racism, xenophobia, and cultural disconnect.
9. Lady for a Day (1933)
Frank Capra's 1933 film "Lady for a Day" oozes with sympathy for the down-trodden and pokes fun at the bougie nature of the upper class. Apple Annie, the haggard homeless woman, gets classed up so she can maintain an outrageous charade. America was coming out of the Great Depression during the film's release, and the film is a product of its time. It illustrates the need for togetherness and community in the face of uncertain times.
8. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Frank Capra had many 'fish out of water' stories. In "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," a small town good guy inherits a fortune from his late uncle, forcing him to move into the city. His small town individualist perspectives get challenged by the conformity of a metropolitan lifestyle. In being pressured by a morally corrupted 'dog-eat-dog' society, Mr. Deeds represents the well-intentioned underdog fighting for the individual puruist of happiness.
7. Lost Horizon (1937)
In 1937, capitalism, communism, and facism were all competing for supremacy in a war of ideas. These ideas all had the goal of an idealistic utopia in mind. In Frank Capra's "Lost Horizon," he examines the ideal society - one without war, suffering, and time itself. This idealized utopia only can exist on the cinema screen, however, even if it constantly feels like it's on the horizon.
6. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Frank Capra's 1944 film "Arsenic and Old Lace" felt like a mash-up of the two most popular film genres of the previous decade: screwball comedy and monster horror. Combining these two genres together creates a morally grey laugh out loud comedy. Cary Grant plays a character who must decide what to do with his murdering aunts. Things get worse when his older brother appears, also a serial killer. How should Grant handle a houseful of killers?
5. Meet John Doe (1941)
Frank Capra's WWII drama "Meet John Doe" presents a corrupted America. After publishing a suicide note from a 'John Doe,' a newspaper publisher enlists a laborer to pose as John Doe for the American public. What follows is a battle for ethically acceptable behavior. While everyone is profiting off of manipulating the American public, the everyman protagonist must rise against the higher echelons of society. However, this Capra flick presents a far more cynical viewpoint of his 'normal everyman' vs corruption narrative. With this film, John Doe has little hope of escaping a politically tainted world.
4. It Happened One Night (1934)
In a screwball comedy for the ages, Frank Capra's Depression-era flick "It Happened One Night" sees a smirky, carefree Clark Gable put up with a wealthy, stuck-up Claudette Colbert. At a time when America was facing economic turmoil and many were feeling trapped and restless about their circumstances, the film portrays characters who are also trapped by circumstances. How do they get out? Well, they gain a little perspective - from each other, from the world, and from people whose lives are much worse off than theirs.
3. You Can't Take it With You (1938)
When global tensions were rising in 1938, a war of ideas pervaded the culture with the intention of idealogical supremacy. Frank Capra's "You Can't Take it With You" explores possible remedies to these mounting tensions, in the form of individualistic puruist of happiness and the unity that comes from your family and community. When the son of a wealthy banker decides to marry a lower-class girl with a big family, things are thrown into chaos. However, the love between these two creates the remedy for the bubbling social structures trying to overwhelm them.
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Now considered a classic of the holiday season, "It's a Wonderful Life" tells the story of the first half of a dark century. A viral pandemic, two great global wars, and financial collapse left an entire nation depressed and resentful. The same goes for James Stewart's character, who starts out the film with lofty dreams, only to have those dreams repeatedly shot down by the before mentioned occurences of a catostrophic half-century. However, the film encourages us as individuals and us as a nation to gain some perspective. It's the little things in life that make it wonderful - the love of your family, your friends, and community.
1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
In perhaps one of the greatest political films of all time, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" tells the story of an idealistic patriot who is elected to the Supreme Court - only to become disillusioned by the American government. The press attacks him, beaurocracy stalls every attempt to pass a bill, and corruption in the courts all wear away at Mr. Smith. However, Mr. Smith becomes a shining symbol of hope that hard-working people can beat the system. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" reminds us that liberty will have its day and lost causes are always worth fighting for.
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