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A comment made by Emma Thompson made me want to see "Roman Holiday" again. Miss Thompson said about Audrey Hepburn "she has no bite" Implying that Miss Hepburn wasn't much of an actress. Well, I don't know what she was talking about or perhaps she doesn't either. To see "Roman Holiday" again in 2017 was a moving and wonderful experience. Audrey Hepburn's performance is as fresh and enchanting as I remembered. Perhaps even more. So I arrived to the conclusion that Miss Thompson is talking about a different kind of acting. When a performance travels in time with the same power, decade after decade, for me that's great film acting. In "Roman Holiday" she took me with her and convinced me, heart and mind, that she was that princess and I loved her. William Wyler, the wonderful director, knew what he was doing - he always did. By introducing us to Audrey Hepburn he reinforced and reinvigorated his own prodigious legacy. I love Emma Thompson as an actress but she's totally wrong about Audrey Hepburn.
Antonius Block
Audrey Hepburn burst onto the movie scene with this film, her first role. She plays an English Princess traveling in Rome who is bored with her official duties and the tight schedule she's on. One night after getting a tranquilizer to calm her from the stress of it all, she sneaks away into the streets of Rome. She's found by a newspaperman played by Gregory Peck, who takes her to his place to sleep it off. When he finds out who she really is, he realizes he's on top of a gold mine of a story, and enlists his photographer friend (Eddie Albert) to get candid shots of the two while they sightsee. Hepburn and Peck are such an attractive couple, and director William Wyler gets lots of beautiful shots of Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, and of course the classic scene they have at the Bocca della Verità. It all makes for a very romantic film. Hepburn played her part perfectly, expressing frustration and joy with such economy, as well as the restraint that comes from being a royal. Among several others, the scene with her getting her hair cut short is captivating, and it's no wonder that she won an Oscar for her performance. Peck's performance is also excellent, and Eddie Albert pulls off the part of a young rogue quite well despite being 47 at the time. I won't spoil the ending, except to say it's touching and poignant, and so perfectly shot in the Palazzo Colonna. At the end of the day this is 'just a romantic comedy', with its share of silliness, but it's so mature and magical, and with these stars in this setting, it stands head and shoulders above so many others.
idt-55823
After World War II, the world entered a period of rehabilitation, and businesses began to rebuild themselves, contributing to the rebound of the economy. Due to the world's economic rebound, money slowly started to trickle back into many American households, leaving money for recreational purposes. A young woman who, like many, had been oppressed by the Nazi power in Europe, had just begun her journey in the recreational industry known as Hollywood. A young Audrey Hepburn was sent to attend ballet school and had been dancing ballet during the war time to bring joy to others. The entertainment industry which had been turned into a propaganda machine to ignite civilian support of the war was now being reverted into an enjoyable past time which didn't include the topic of the war in every screening. Unfortunately for America, after the war had ended, the nation entered the Cold War against the USSR. The films that came out during the 1950s were a form of joy and relief in a time of great insecurity in America as the country pa in the Cold War. One of the films which brought back the light and innocence to audiences was Roman Holiday, directed by William Weyler. Starring Gregory Peck and introducing young Audrey Hepburn, the movie captures the innocence and morality of the time, giving us a look back into a world which no longer exists.Although there may not have been complete peace during that time, this film reflects the respect that men had towards women, the chivalry of that time. There has never been such thing as a perfect world, but when considering human morality, there have been times where the world was much more safe and closer to perfect. In the beginning, when Joe Bradly (Peck) finds Princess Anne (Hepburn) asleep on the side walk, he stopped to help her get a cab, and when she was too tired to direct herself home, he took her home and paid for the ride. When at his house, he let her sleep on his own bed while he took the couch. He did not face the same way as the princess to honor her modesty. Keep in mind, throughout this entire time, he had no idea who she was and yet, he was a complete gentleman to this complete stranger who he found laying on the side walk. Today, a pretty well dressed woman would be harassed if she had passed out on the side of the street, or even at a college party. There have been many cases and trials of college boys who rape college girls who were unsuspecting and vulnerable at the parties. No longer is the world where men take care of all women.Now days, just being out alone at night as a young woman puts you at so many risks. Being unable to go out at night without others due to the way people in the world are now, Many people have no respect for others, and are completely self centered, willing to commit crimes against innocent unsuspecting passerby's, to fulfill a need of their own. The children could freely play on the streets and the neighborhood children were all friends, frolicking around, playing games, not video games, and getting fresh air and exercise. Due to the over population of the world now, there sometimes just isn't room for that. With towering apartment buildings, many families can't afford to live in a friendly neighborhood with a back yard and room to run around. They spend much of their afternoons staring at screens and don't get to practice basic social skills which are acquired through the afternoons of outdoor play with other children. Additionally, the family home has changed as no before, families could leave their door open all the time, and never needed to worry about anyone or anything happening to them. This is not the case now days, as burglars and thieves ruthlessly break into homes, stealing the hard earned possessions of the family. In the movie, Roman Holiday, Joe Bradly lives in the semi-crowded city of Rome. He does live in an apartment of sorts, but his building and the ones surrounding it are two story buildings, unlike the skyscrapers today. He is able to leave his door unlocked when he is away, and the only time he locks it during the movie is when Princess Anne is sleeping and he figured out who she was. He locks the door to make sure she doesn't leave as he wants to interview this significant figure, but it locks from the inside and Princess Anne would be able to exit any time she pleased, so he was not holding her against her will. This world no longer exists as there have been many cases of kidnapping of women and holding them against the will in a house as a slave. The safety of a house which is captured in the movie is in a world unlike today's, dangerous and suspicious world.In a less dramatic sense, the world which is filmed in the movie is no longer the same as the economy and technology has changed. In the movie, we see the antique cameras of the paparazzi and audio recorders when they are given the chance to interview Princess Anne. The cars which drive around are what we would consider old classic cars, the types which are mainly for show and collecting now, but then, everyone who drove had a car similar. The nostalgia in this video brings back a world which we have never known, and my never know again. Through pictures, videos, and music, life is preserved to be enjoyed for a time to come. Although this movie was made during a time of great panic and fear in the United States, the directors and film makers created a morally correct , and it brings the audience back to the realistic world with it's twist of an ending.
