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People have made countless movies depicting the beauty and sorrow in war, but they have yet to come up with a solution to what life is like once the action has come to an end. How does a soldier readjust to life after war gets silent? The answer is, it is a tough battle and could possibly be even worse than fighting an actual war. During the times of WWII, an acclaimed director took time off from filming to make his own movie on the front lines. Talking to many soldiers inspired him to make a film on their lives which is why when he came back home he shot the film, The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946. Wyler’s intent of the film was to portray the struggles veterans face when transitioning from the battlefield back to life’s mundane routines. The end result was astonishing and grew to be one of the greatest pieces of American cinema, winning an Oscar for ‘best picture of the year’ along with being labeled as a “perfect movie.”
The end of World War II means soldiers can finally go home. For Al, Fred, and Homer, this means finally returning to their small hometown in the American heartland. It’s a long flight back home, where they all bond with each other and dream of peaceful and prosperous lives. However, they soon realize they cannot return to how things were before the war. After being treated like fragile glass by his family, Homer retreats to a dark place, far away from everyone, including the love of his life, Wilma. Al is greeted by his loving wife, Millie, his daughter Peggy, and a major job promotion at the bank. However, he now suffers from the new normal and relies on alcohol to cope. Fred leaves home a soda jerk and returns a bomb commander. He is optimistic about his career, only to be told constantly that the “war is over”, returning him back to his former self. Only now, he has the added mental anguish that accompanies a loveless marriage.
The understanding that Fred is getting closer to Al’s daughter Peggy makes things harder. The relationship between the two ole chums is getting strained. These three guys try their best to move on, surfacing from the waters of confusion that can only be described as an emotional rollercoaster.
The film’s vast success through the seven decades since its release can be attributed to its profound, realistic approach to issues that continue to obstruct society today. The enemy is not the issue. These three men now have to deal with their emotional and psychological issues. The genius move by Wyler is that he refrains from trying too hard to the audience bludgeoned with information; instead, he lets everything unfold in a realistic way. There is no overly dramatic explanation of Fred’s PTSD because it is nightmarish. He does not bear the set that he lost his crew while fulfilling a “bombing run.” rather, glancing over modern day daturic, Fred is labeled as a hero for successfully completing the mission, however, he suffers from overwhelming survivors guilt. Wyler, like any other issue accompanying the end of the Second World War, simply tackles the subject and grants freedom to the audience to figure out the emotional weight themselves. Problems like race, poverty, unemployment for veterans, and a whole lot more are tackled in the same manner as they are in real life.
The majority of people take some time to notice things like; the highest-placed of the three characters is the least socio economically well off. Or that the African-American who is subjected to contempt by the wealthy gentleman at the start happens to have his own military insignia which means his prize for battling is coming back to this kind of abuse.
One of the most unforgettable features of this film is the cast, which includes some of the greatest actors of all time. Myrna Loy, Frederic March, Dana Andrews, Hoagy Carmichael, and Teresa Wright all give some of the best performances of their careers. But it is non-actor Harold Russell who notoriously steals the show in every scene he appears in. Russell was a veteran who lost both of his hands in World War II. Once William Wyler found out his story, he knew this man had to star in the movie. In his role as Homer, Russell gives a face to the people who were left scars by the war. His journey throughout the film is one that captures your heart and does not let go. At the beginning, Homer is portrayed as an easy-going young adult. He is hooked, but he is skilled at manipulating his hooks. He is extremely self-assured because he is ready to marry his girlfriend Wilma. It is when he returns home to his family and sees how differently those who loved him treated him that drives him into a spiral of depression.
Little by little he alienates other people besides his parents, sister and Wilma gets so far as to drive every single person away, seeing himself as a broken and hurt shadow of who he was. What he didn’t expect was how fiercely Wilma would stick by him, which she makes very clear in a scene which reduces even the hardest of moviegoers to tears. Natural Oscar nominated deserving performance by Russell, he would have lost the competition to his fellow contenders if not for the special award that was granted to him as a consolation prize. However, in a twist of fate worthy of Hollywood, Harold Russell did win Best Supporting Actor and walked away with two awards for one role. Myrna Lay, who did not receive a nomination and is widely known to have suffered the largest Oscar snub of all time, had the least amount of luck on award night. As Millie, her character was a complex and deep representation of a post-war housewife trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Yet behind the happy, appealing mask of a traditional wife, Millie is filled with tremendous internal conflict trying to cope with her husband’s growing alcoholism and her fear that he may no longer love her.
The Unholy Three Classic Lon Chaney quote “that’s all there is to life. Just a little laugh, just a little tear.” In my opinion, Best Years of Our Lives is a quintessential film. One that leads its audience on a teeter-totter of despair and joy. During this time period, World War II was the focal point of numerous films. This particular movie depicted life after the war when the front lines for many people became within their own minds. The Best Years of Our Lives greatly expensed the theme that the emerging film noir movement often dealt with, but they did it with a sense of optimism rather than dark cynicism. This movie, while lacking some of the most basic issues faced by the characters, captures the feeling of being surrounded by hope. In my opinion, this movie, like many others, has earned its place amongst the greatest of all time And deserves to be seen by everyone.
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