The ruin that capitalism (here termed commercialism) brings to all that is good; cynicism engendered by the bitter harshness of reality, versus hopefulness and fancy - these are the predominant themes that 'Miracle on 34th Street' immediately establishes as its core. Gratifyingly, when substantial doubt is placed on the verisimilitude of Kris Kringle's personage, we even get imperfect dialogue supporting the notion that individuals who struggle with mental illness do not inherently need to be institutionalized, and can themselves be very productive citizens. To my pleasure, the movie represents an unusual amalgamation of the unembellished film-making and storytelling style of the 1940s with a modestly fantastical story of the sort that in subsequent years has often become self-important, overblown pablum. I do think at some points it's burdened with a touch of childish excess that's not to my liking - but I recognize that even these instances are fully in keeping with the thrust of the story. And considering how very smart, clever, and well-made this is otherwise, I'm rather willing to overlook such minor indelicacies.
More concretely, the writing is wonderfully strong - a compelling narrative, robust dialogue, fantastic scene writing, and characters more complex and lively than the majority of holiday-themed pictures can claim. It's a joy to know Valentine Davies and George Seaton won acclaim and accolades for their work in bringing this story to life. Sure, there's a small measure of cheese to flavor, for good or ill - but also heart, humor, and honesty. For every film that has every toyed with the question of whether or not Santa is real, few if any have approached it with nearly the vivid themes, stark commentary, cheeky candor, or outright brilliance that 'Miracle on 34th Street' does.
The cast is magnificent, each actor doing so much to tell this tale with all the good spirit to match the writing. Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, a very young Natalie Wood are all great. And, above all, and most critically, Edmund Gwenn is utterly stupendous as Kris Kringle: a perfect embodiment of charm, carrying the role with nuance and strength of personality. How marvelous that no higher authority than the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences itself acknowledged that Gwenn was an exceptional Santa Claus.
One could expound at still greater length about the qualities that this picture brings to bear, but it becomes redundant after a point. Tiny subjective excesses aside, this is a grandly intelligent, thoughtful, yet lighthearted treatment of swell themes and subject matter. Save perhaps for viewers who can't abide any level of the kitsch that necessarily follows Christmas movies, I find it hard to imagine there's many folks who could meaningfully argue against the terrific worth of this feature. Wherever one may be able to watch it, 1947's 'Miracle on 34th Street' is an outstanding piece of holiday cinema - an essential classic that most everyone should see at least once.
More concretely, the writing is wonderfully strong - a compelling narrative, robust dialogue, fantastic scene writing, and characters more complex and lively than the majority of holiday-themed pictures can claim. It's a joy to know Valentine Davies and George Seaton won acclaim and accolades for their work in bringing this story to life. Sure, there's a small measure of cheese to flavor, for good or ill - but also heart, humor, and honesty. For every film that has every toyed with the question of whether or not Santa is real, few if any have approached it with nearly the vivid themes, stark commentary, cheeky candor, or outright brilliance that 'Miracle on 34th Street' does.
The cast is magnificent, each actor doing so much to tell this tale with all the good spirit to match the writing. Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, a very young Natalie Wood are all great. And, above all, and most critically, Edmund Gwenn is utterly stupendous as Kris Kringle: a perfect embodiment of charm, carrying the role with nuance and strength of personality. How marvelous that no higher authority than the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences itself acknowledged that Gwenn was an exceptional Santa Claus.
One could expound at still greater length about the qualities that this picture brings to bear, but it becomes redundant after a point. Tiny subjective excesses aside, this is a grandly intelligent, thoughtful, yet lighthearted treatment of swell themes and subject matter. Save perhaps for viewers who can't abide any level of the kitsch that necessarily follows Christmas movies, I find it hard to imagine there's many folks who could meaningfully argue against the terrific worth of this feature. Wherever one may be able to watch it, 1947's 'Miracle on 34th Street' is an outstanding piece of holiday cinema - an essential classic that most everyone should see at least once.