Briefly explain Frank Capra’s editing style and illustrate how he used that editing style to help tell the story in It’s A Wonderful Life

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Frank Capra was a master of classical editing. His cutting style was fast, light, seamless. But he never displayed his editing virtuosity for its own sake. Like every other technique, editing is subordinated to the needs of the characters in action—the cardinal commandment of classical cutting.
2. In many of his films, Capra included a “reactive character” who guides the viewer’s response to the action. This character represents a kind of norm, the way an average person would respond to a given situation.
3. For example, in Capra’s film It’s A Wonderful Life the hero (James Stewart) listens to his guardian angel (Henry Travers) explain why he isn’t a very distinguished angel (he has yet to earn his wings). The reactive character is a casual bystander (Tom Fadden, center) who happens to overhear and is totally spooked by their conversation.
4. Capra is able to punctuate the comedy of the scene by cutting to this character’s response whenever the angel says something weird.