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Social drama

Isn't Life Wonderful

Year
1924
Length
120 minWikidata 120-minute listing Version sources ↓

A displaced family in post-war Germany tries to secure food, work, shelter, and a future amid inflation and scarcity.

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Language
English
BleakGentle Approachable · Moderate Social drama
Three soil-covered potatoes rest in dark folded cloth.

Image: Monocurator · source · Original Monocurator artwork

What to expect

Griffith sets aside monumental historical spectacle for everyday survival, using location work and small material needs to make recovery feel provisional rather than triumphant.

How to ease in

The pace is patient because scarcity is repetitive. Follow food and work—what can be bought, grown, carried, or stolen—and let those practical details define the stakes.

Heads-up

A quick, non-exhaustive note Includes poverty, hunger, displacement, theft, violence, illness, and post-war hardship.
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The title sounds optimistic, but the film keeps asking what optimism costs when a family has almost no margin. I find hope most convincing when it appears as another day’s work.

— Momo

Momo thinking about this film

Credits & versions

Version map

Wikidata 120-minute listing 120 min 120 minutes reproduces the single duration stated by the source. The listing does not identify a cut, score, territory, frame rate, source element, or restoration. Source: Wikidata — Isn't Life Wonderful Runtime reference · Checked 2026-08-22

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