I watched this documentary on the Criterion Collection edition of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. It looks at the life and major works of Frank Capra, and goes into a satisfying amount of detail. I enjoyed the debunking of the idea that Capra's movies were all sentimental mush without hints of ambiguity or darkness. I could have done without some of the hyperbolic gushing (every scene seemed to be "the finest proposal in movie history" or "the most sublime close-up of all time" or "the best nose twitch since FRED OTT'S SNEEZE"), but overall I came away from the documentary with a better appreciation of Capra's style and ideals. It's so weird how a filmmaker so steeped in the concerns and pop culture of the 1930s and 1940s can still touch so many.
Review of Frank Capra's American Dream
Frank Capra's American Dream
(1997 TV Movie)
Great breakdown of Capra's enduring appeal
1 January 2021