Tools of Characterization
Characterization in It's a Wonderful Life
Actions
Our George is feeling pretty ineffectual; nothing he does seems to make a difference. One thing he learns is that his actions do have positive consequences. He saves Harry from drowning, and Harry goes on to save lots of soldiers' lives during World War II. He prevents Mr. Gower from accidentally giving poison to a sick kid, saving another life. And, later on in life, he stands in the way of Mr. Potter's attempts to dominate Bedford Falls. All of George's actions consistently demonstrate his compassion and selflessness. Same with Mary Bailey.
Mr. Potter's actions scream the opposite. He forces already poor people to pay him exorbitant rents in his slum apartments. He tries to destroy the Building and Loan and get a monopoly on the housing market in the town. Finally, when George is at his lowest, Mr. Potter mocks him, virtually encourages George to kill himself, and tries to get him arrested.
So, since character equals action, George is clearly our good guy. Potter, on the other hand, is hopelessly bad. They're a regular Goofus and Gallant.
Direct Characterization
Movies can't directly characterize characters the way books do … unless you have a pair of angels who are infallible and can tell you what to think. It's a Wonderful Life does have such a pair of angels capable of rendering these kinds of judgments via voice-over. Since they're speaking from a heavenly perspective, we can assume they're right.
In fact, the first words we hear onscreen are direct characterizations of George:
BERT'S VOICE: He never thinks about himself, God; that's why he's in trouble.
ERNIE'S VOICE: George is a good guy. Give him a break, God.
The angels clue us in on Potter, too:
ANGEL JOSEPH: That's Henry F. Potter, the richest and meanest man in the county.
George also weighs in on Potter's lousy personality, defending his father in the process:
GEORGE: People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book, he died a much richer man than you'll ever be!
Family Life
George's family life is really wonderful, even though he momentarily forgets that when he thinks about killing himself. We can tell by the way his kids relate to him that he's normally a very kind and attentive dad. He's a devoted husband to Mary, and he's close with his parents and brother, too. Even Mr. Gower, his boss, treats him like a son.
In contrast, Mr. Potter has no family or friends. At one point, Pa Bailey asks him, "Mr. Potter, what makes you such a hard-skulled character? You have no family—no children. You can't begin to spend all the money you've got." We don't know why Potter has no family—maybe he's just too mean or too self-involved to think about anybody else. But, in this movie, part of what defines the good guys is that they have loving families. In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge redeems his miserable self in part by taking care of the Cratchit family and becoming like a father to Tiny Tim. No such luck for Henry Potter.
Occupation
Peter and George Bailey's job—running a building and loan company that builds and finances loans for poor people—marks them as selfless and sympathetic guys committed to bettering the lives of the folks in their community. Unlike some other character we could name.
OK, we'll name him. Henry Potter's occupation seems to be in buying up and controlling as many financial operations as possible, all for the purpose of enriching himself. Definitely the sign of a bad guy, right? The FBI thought the movie seemed to equate being a profit-seeking capitalist with being coldhearted and evil. Does it? Consider Sam Wainwright. He makes a fortune in the plastics business with his entrepreneurial spirit but that doesn't stop him from being a decent guy. He even gives George $25,000 to save the Building and Loan. Didn't the FBI think about that?
Social Status
Henry Potter is at the top of the food chain in Bedford Falls. He's the richest man in town; he looks down on everyone else as being riffraff. At one point, he says to George's dad, "So, I suppose I should give [my money] to miserable failures like you and that idiot brother of yours to spend for me."
But, A-list rich guys aren't the good guys in this movie. Even though George thinks he's a failure because he hasn't become successful in Potter's sense of the word, it's the ordinary folks that are the heroes. The Bailey family and the working-class people they help are the salt-of-the-earth, genuinely good, typical Capra characters.
Speech and Dialogue
Since Clarence is 293 years old, he doesn't always speak in totally contemporary English. It adds to his comical dimension. When ordering a drink, he says:
CLARENCE: That's a good man. I was just thinking of a flaming rum punch. No, it's not cold enough for that. Not nearly cold enough … Wait a minute … wait a minute … I got it. Mulled wine, heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you, me lad, and be lively!
Part of the comedy here, of course, involves an angel's excited anticipation of drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Henry Potter doesn't seem to have a kind word for anybody throughout the film. He flatters George at one point for beating him at the real estate game, but that's just self-serving flattery. He practically barks at people when he's angry.
Thoughts and Opinions
At one point, Mr. Potter really gets inside George's head. George has always suspected himself of being a failure since he hasn't made a ton of money. Potter strikes right at this soft spot, saying to George:
POTTER: Look at you. You used to be so cocky! You were going to go out and conquer the world! You once called me a warped, frustrated old man. What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities—no stocks—no bonds—nothing but a miserable little $500 equity in a life insurance policy. You're worth more dead than alive. Why don't you go to the riffraff you love so much and ask them to let you have $8,000? You know why? Because they'd run you out of town on a rail.
This encapsulates Potter's whole philosophy: money is the only measure of worth, and other people aren't worth your time. He can't foresee that George's friends will bail him out because he doesn't think of people in that way. George's and Potter's divergent opinions about what really matters in life is the central conflict of the film. They express those opinions at every turn.
Sure, George's resolve falters under the pressure of scandal and financial ruin, but he rediscovers it. As Clarence says in a note he leaves for George, "Dear George, remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. Love Clarence."