Is It a Wonderful Life? The Myth of George Bailey and the American Sacrifice

 Is It a Wonderful Life? The Myth of George Bailey and the American Sacrifice
Year: 2013
Writers: Michael Carlisle & Ehren C Clarke
Editor: Ehren C Clarke

It is certainly true that various film genres crossed the borders of east and west. There is no denying the greatness of Kurosawa’s noir to the history, the quality and character of the western that made the subject for many great samurai classics, or it might be argued that western European movements of Realism, neo-Realism and New-Wave could be felt in the work of Mizoguchi, Ozu, Teshigahara and Suzuki. Although these forms could be diffuse, the deep seeded traditions of the Japanese were entirely foreign to the Western market and Western commoditization was a heresy that mocked their ancient and still living culture. One cultural difference between the two divides is the idea of self-sacrifice. we penetrate into the character of Bailey and question his motives. It seems that throughout the film, all of his actions and decisions were based on self motivated ambitions for certain material realities he desires above much that offers intrinsic satisfaction such as family devotion or dedication to an occupation, not the occupation for the sake of something else, and certainly, the family is the ultimate accomplishment when it takes Bailey just a little too long and too many lessons to realize this. He is a grown up.

The principle is self-sacrifice was not among the list of George Bailey’s virtues. As much as he wanted to accomplish, as big as were his dreams, they were always his accomplishments and dreams alone regardless of a second party. Was his being the saving grace of Bedford Falls? It may have inadvertently been but this was no expressed or explicit desire.

The Japanese have a different approach to self-sacrifice and it is hard to question a Japanese character in a Japanese film who suffers and does not do this with the attitude of total and true self-sacrifice. This principle was a part of Japanese Buddhist culture; to bear ones sufferings and this means to the point of the total sacrifice of the self, to a Zen transcendence of worldly reality to enlightenment and nirvana. No thought was to be given to the self, only to the freeing of the self from selfish desires and a release from a binding worldly condition, the human condition.

The Human Condition is the film in Japanese history that through its 10 grueling hours, is perhaps the best manifestation of authentic self-sacrifice to be endured by any character in any film ever. The film takes the academic away from his true love, puts him at odds with kindness, turns him into a soldier, then a beggar, has him foraging through a forest with a group of degenerates, finding himself beaten throughout the 10 hours culminating in the thrashing he finds in a Chinese village this being just at the end of World War Two. He trudges through the snow utterly starving wearing a grain sack cloth with card slippers and with every step he hears the echo throughout the valley of “her” voice, every thing has been for her, all of his endurance, all that he suffered to see her again, but as he neared civilization… he reaches his own Zen reality as he becomes one in spirit with her and after and epic of self sacrifice close to his goal, falls down dead. This might be a lesson in self-sacrifice Bailey would get a much deserved reality check from. To truly self-sacrifice, one must not only rid one’s desires, interests, assets and well-being for the sake of a cause; one must also rid the ego. In this section will compare “It’s A Wonderful Life’s” protagonist George Bailey with “Schindler’s List’s” hero Oskar Schindler. In Spielberg’s picture Schindler is a wealthy man who gives up everything he has had for the sake of others. He loses his possessions, his profitable business, his leisurely lifestyle, to save a two thousand Jews. He even rids himself of his more base emotional desires for the benefit of others; even though he loves many women, he eventually matures and decides that his wife’s feelings are more important.

At the end of Schindler’s List, Oscar has nothing, he doesn’t even have hope as he is being hunted by both Nazi and the Allies for being a war criminal. Still, with only a car to drive him away from his liberated factory he cries out “I could’ve done more!” and collapses from his overwhelming grief. He, of course, literally couldn’t have done more; he tried all he could to save as many Jewish people as he could, while making sure the Germans would have lost the war. Though it seems like our great hero Oskar Schindler has an ego, certainly his cry would imply that his ego actually died quite some time ago. Schindler doesn’t think of himself as some messiah for the Jewish people nor does he think that he is the only one making sure Nazi Germany comes to an end.

He gives all his thanks to his Jewish secretary who gave him the idea of the list and made his efforts possible. He knows that even though his sacrifice helped, it was still a small number in the bigger picture. Even though he is a great man, he doesn’t think so; it takes Itzhak Stern to remind him that he is at least somewhat significant to the survival of the Jews.

On the other hand, George Bailey’s self-sacrifice is not authentic because it is entirely egocentric and self- perseverance. Bailey will only self-sacrifice if it benefits himself and his community; if there is even one shred of doubt or hopelessness, Bailey goes into a manic depression that only ends once he finds his ego from his anxiety. To Bailey, Bedford Falls only exists because he exists. He IS the reason for absolutely everything positive, he IS the reason his wife is not a shrew librarian. The film even goes as far as saying that Bailey made a great contribution to the war because he saved his brother from drowning. What would happen to Bailey’s ego if at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the town can’t come up with the money and Bedford Falls becomes Pottersville? It could be just as likely in fact more probable. Bailey is driven by material gain, so driven that he won’t even consider the needs of his wife and children. When deciding to cancel their honeymoon and use the money to help the bank, does Bailey even consider what his wife thinks of the decision? When deciding to commit suicide does Bailey stop to think “How will this affect my family?” When Clarence lists reasons for why George is alive, does he mention “oh yes, and your two kids will never be born”? For Bailey, self and business and his European dream come first and family is dead last. He is the opposite of the true self-sacrificing Oskar Schindler.

Many have authentic men of authentic self-sacrificial qualities when in extreme conditions. However, this can be no loop for Bailey, whose anxiety was the worst of all, to see his life without his even being there. How terrifying. And instead of worrying about the fate that has apparently befallen everyone and everything… every word to come from his mouth is “Don’t you know it’s me?” “Can’t you see I am alive?” “I’m real!” No you aren’t George Bailey, you are in denial of your selfish attitude to life and the insignificance with which you treat others.