It's A Wonderful Life Narrative

In the movie Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, a particular ironic spectator position exists that deviates from the original Frank Capra Christmas classic film of the same title. This type of position can be related back to the single-focus narrative discussion in Rick Altman's Theory of Narrative, and the three aspects of narrative schema discussed in David Bordwell's Narration in the Fiction Film. These discussions can help us better understand the deviations that director Peter Capaldi wanted to incorporate in his own unique version. Capra's 1946 Christmas drama, It's a Wonderful Life, is an inspirational staple in American classic cinema. It is one of the more realistic and deeper Christmas films to have ever been made, inciting our
own contemplation about what it means to exist. The movie's main character, distraught George Bailey, laments to have ever been born and attempts to jump off a bridge after money misplacement. His guardian angel, Clarence, goes in to deter him and leads him to vivid Dickens-esque glimpses on how the course of the past, present, and future would have been completely different without George in his loved ones' lives. “You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life,” Clarence explains to George. “Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?” (Capra). George needs to see these visions to gain better clarity of his significance. Things fall into place again and George, along with the audience, sentimentally reaffirms that everyone has a purpose in the world. Loved ones and even the kindness of strangers can be depended on when needed, solidifying his own reaffirmation when the money comes back to him bit by bit. The pathos to the main character's journey reflects the sense of purpose questioning that many humans regularly have throughout life. As Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol's alternate reality scenarios, and the main character's changed view of life due to people's kindness served as inspiration for Capra, Capra's film was set to inspire another filmmaker's short film decades later. Capaldi's 1995 Frank Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life is unique take on the events that make the main character realize his own feeling that it's a wonderful life.
Capaldi chose to include a portion of Czech author Franz Kafka's life to create this movie into a fantasy biographical film as well. He picked the time when Kafka was set to write his novella, the future critically-acclaimed The Metamorphosis. Although Capra's film is an inspiring and raw Christmas drama, Capaldi's film is a dark and ironic comedy. Certain scenes from Capra's film would not be necessarily be considered family friendly for a Christmas film, such as George contemplating suicide, but Capaldi's film is even less so for that type of audience. But he chose to include his own recreation of the pure movie conclusion as an ironic
twist. In the movie, Kafka lives in what appears to be a single room with only a lamp, a table, and a chair.
He ponders endlessly what his character will wakes up as in his novella, but cannot come to an idea that makes sense to him, especially when he keeps getting interrupted by his neighbors' boisterous party. Enraged, he goes to confront them, and the hostess seem to understand, until he asks her, “Is this a real conversation or an imaginary one?” “Imaginary, of course!” she replies. “Thank goodness,” he mumbles, as she shuts her door (Capaldi). We had no indication that this was all an imagined scenario, as he wished he could only be that upfront and respected by his noisy neighbors. His heart beating loudly in our ears, he knocks, and instantly we, the audience, become part of this surreal women's party through an inviting POV shot. The hostess leads Kafka and us to dance and a girl comes to offer a peach. There is quiet tension as everyone awaits Kafka's response at this seeming innuendo. A visibly uncomfortable and incredulous Kafka can't find his way through the proper words for what he really wants, for only the audience knows what writing and social energy he has burned through from his room to this party. If only the imaginary scenario had been real. He stalks back to his depressing room, in an even bitter mood to have failed in his mission of quiet and riddance of his writer's
block.