It’s officially that time when our TV screens will be bombarded with modern and classic festive films. And while some are cheap and insufferable to watch, there’s definitely a large list that invites us to fully indulge in nostalgia and reminds us that the most wonderful time of the year has arrived.
Determining the best films is always a subjective and challenging endeavour, with opinions often varying widely. Yet, remarkably, two separate film critics have both singled out the same black-and-white classic as the greatest Christmas film of all time — and surprisingly, it isn’t Home Alone (1990) or Elf (2003). This chosen film has stood the test of time, capturing the true spirit of Christmas.
The best Christmas movie of all time
According to a film expert at Time Out, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) is the best Christmas film of all time. They shared: “Tinged with magical passages, buckets of goodwill and an alternate plotline with the disturbing kick of a Black Mirror episode, this tribute to the efforts of a small-town do-gooder cements the idea of Christmas as a time for giving.
“James Stewart is impeccable as George Bailey, the Bedford Falls boy-next-door whose dreams are continually deferred by the demands of family and national upset. Denied the opportunities for individualist enterprise that are the stock in trade of American cinematic heroism, George is pulled towards communal effort and self-effacement.
“Yet the film’s bravura fantasy sequence, imagining the hellishly licentious Bedford Falls that would exist without George, makes the grandest possible case for the importance and uniqueness of individual agency. Funny, compelling and moving.”
The expert also highlighted that It’s a Wonderful Life is the first ever Christmas movie to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards, although no Christmas film has ever won an Oscar.
What do other critics think?
It’s A Wonderful Life has also topped the IMDb list of the best Christmas films of all time. The classic film has an impressive 8.6 stars out of 10 on the film site, surpassing the beloved Home Alone (1990) for the number one spot.
Die Hard (1988) ranked a respectable third place, while Scrooge (1951) is in fourth place, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) is in fifth place.
On the other hand, Rotten Tomatoes has named The Shop Around the Corner (1940) as the best of all time, while It’s A Wonderful Life ranked a surprising tenth.
When speaking on their reasoning, the critics’ consensus shared: “Deftly directed by Ernst Lubitsch from a smart, funny script by Samson Raphaelson, The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic comedy in the finest sense of the term.”
Source link
