The post below covers this scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQhTmNDTGo, from Its a Wonderful Life. It was written for my ENGB57 class in which the prompt asked us to examine how diegetic and extra-diegetic elements of film combined to evoke emotionally based ethical reasoning. Thanks for reading!

Capitalism: A Broken American Dream

The movie It’s a Wonderful Life explores the dilemma of material vulnerability facing middle class Americans subject to America’s Darwinian corporate capitalist system. Although this movie was released in 1964, many of the problems presented in the movie remain the same today. The scene I have chosen that illuminates this material vulnerability of the middle class is when George stumbles through Pottersville, slowly realizing that the town has fallen into despair without him. This scene clearly paints the rich as bad and willing to take advantage of the middle class and poor if George, the hero of the story is not there to defend them. The fragility that those in the middle-class face is abundantly clear in this scene through both diegetic and nondiegetic elements. These elements further evoke emotionally based ethical reasoning, pairing anti-family values with the capitalist Mr. Potter and indicating the loss of the good family man, Mr. George Bailey as the reason for this downfall.  

To define a few terms before the scene analysis, “emotionally based ethic reasoning in American mass culture” examines how movies really drive home an emotional feeling for viewers. That emotion then drives how a viewer forms their ethical framework. Mr. Potter represents the greedy capitalist in this movie, the one who can take away the happy lifestyle of the middle class, illustrating the “material vulnerability” that they face. In the scene I will exam, Mr. Potter has gained control of the town and it has become a haven of immorality. In this scene and movie, painting Mr. Potter and capitalists as evil through both non-diegetic and diegetic elements garners an emotional result form the audience that helps form their ethical framework of the limits of capitalism and the importance of family, community and wealth beyond monetary value. Multiple times the movie drives home the importance of wealth beyond monetary value, this scene portrays the opposite of this view and the potential ramifications of pursuing solely money as a goal in life.

The diegetic elements in this scene are abundantly clear. Focusing on the buildings in the backdrop, Bedford Falls is an idyllic town, a representation of middle-class values, with shots of the town showcasing its pharmacy, toy store and bowling alley. This scene shows us Pottersville, taking us on an imaginative journey through a ton ruled by sin, with places to see fights and nightclubs. Gone are the morals of the town, this new town shows the viewer what could be lost with Mr. Potter in control. Further, if we focus on George himself, we see him become more confused and upset as the scene progresses. The viewer and George learn together the differences that would occur if capitalism were to take control. The diegetic elements inform us of the ethical issues associated with our thesis pairing this nightmare town with capitalism and Mr. Potter. The non-diegetic elements build on top of this, tugging at our heart strings and creating the “emotionally based ethic reasoning” that this movie aimed to invoke.

This scene is not displayed as one integrated shot, rather as a series of cut up shots. Each cut is just long enough for us to view how each building in the town has changed, showing us the pawn broker, Midnight Club Dancing and culminating in his loved Building and Loan becoming a dime a dance. The jump cuts allow the viewer to pick up information very quickly about what has happened without George around. It also weaves in shots of George’s face, informing us of his growing panic, confusion and sadness as the viewer and George sees more and more of the changed town. This editing is a good example of the movie “showing” us the changes instead of “telling” us.

The score is another key non-diegetic element of this scene as it sets the tone for the scene. The score starts off very quiet, with each jump cut the score changes and increases in speed, eventually becoming a maddening loud noise that reflects George’s character, one of confusion and chaos at the new world that he is in now. Interestingly, the score is jazz music which at the time had a negative association with the values that the movie is trying to depict and protect. The score not only serves as a piece that helps inform the viewer about George’s emotional state but also informs the viewer what Potter has done is wrong, and we should feel upset because of it.

The non-diegetic elements that I mentioned work in tandem with the diegetic storytelling in this scene. The score’s tempo changes along with each cut, and with every return to George we see him fall more into despair. All three elements move in one direction, driving the viewer to develop anxious energy, forcing them to feel that “something” is wrong. Since Mr. Potter, the capitalist, is the source of the change leading to the anxiety, the viewer can attribute the “wrong” to him. This then leads for the viewer to form their ethical reasoning as capitalism being wrong. Other scenes in the movie support this view, especially the final scene that reinforces the concept that wealth is not only limited to money. Pottersville displays the absolute worst of capitalism, invoking negative emotion in the viewer forcing them to realize the possible outcomes a departure from the American family values that this movie pushes for.