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The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Directed by: William Wyler
Starring: Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Harold Russell
Centred around the troubles faced by veterans returning home from war, The Best Years of Our Lives only briefly touches on how it was society who failed these men, and instead focuses on the soldiers' own individual perseverance and fortitude. Because of that, the film is able to maintain a feeling of optimism, despite otherwise not shying away from realistic reintegration issues, particularly those of Homer, who lost both of his hands during duty.
There are three distinct, yet intertwining stories featured in the film. Each man comes from a completely different walk of life, and has their own problems to face when returning from combat. Despite living in a smaller town, they likely never would have met if it weren't for the plane ride home. It shows how much of a levelling field the war was for different social classes, as the poorest man was the most decorated, and the youngest among them, who still had so much of his life to look forward to, lost the most.
A number of scenes are shot in a rather interesting manner, with background actions being just as important as those close to the camera. The smaller, more realistic sets sometimes gave a feeling of claustrophobia, which was effective at conveying similar feelings felt by the characters on screen. All of the performances were great, and for an untrained actor, Harold Russell was especially remarkable. His story was really the heart of The Best Years of Our Lives, while also providing a link to keep the others together. It was an outstanding film, and I appreciated how well it handled its drama without becoming overly sentimental.
There are three distinct, yet intertwining stories featured in the film. Each man comes from a completely different walk of life, and has their own problems to face when returning from combat. Despite living in a smaller town, they likely never would have met if it weren't for the plane ride home. It shows how much of a levelling field the war was for different social classes, as the poorest man was the most decorated, and the youngest among them, who still had so much of his life to look forward to, lost the most.
A number of scenes are shot in a rather interesting manner, with background actions being just as important as those close to the camera. The smaller, more realistic sets sometimes gave a feeling of claustrophobia, which was effective at conveying similar feelings felt by the characters on screen. All of the performances were great, and for an untrained actor, Harold Russell was especially remarkable. His story was really the heart of The Best Years of Our Lives, while also providing a link to keep the others together. It was an outstanding film, and I appreciated how well it handled its drama without becoming overly sentimental.
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