CinemaClown Painting an authentic, distressing & heartbreaking portrait of post traumatic stress disorder and expertly led by riveting performances from its outstanding ensemble, The Best Years of Our Lives is a work of restrained craftsmanship that narrates its drama with deft composure and has a thorough understanding of its subject matter.The story concerns three United States servicemen who get acquainted while on their way back home after the end of World War II but face trouble in readjusting to civilian life. The plot follows their lives as each one of them struggles in their own way and has difficulties coping with the horrors of the past and living in the present.Directed by William Wyler (best known for Ben-Hur), it's astonishing just how much the film gets right in its depiction of the hardships faced by soldiers when they return home after serving in the battlefield and being changed by the horrors of it to such an extent that their very own home starts feeling like a place they can't recognise anymore.Through the crisis of our trio of characters, the film offers an interesting glimpse into the experiences of countless others who were affected by war and the struggle they faced with social readjustment. The way it captures the minute details only points to the extensive research & observation that went into the script, for the characters are fully fleshed & well-defined.The post-war era is illustrated in fine detail and the black & white images are sharp & crisply photographed. Clocking at nearly 3 hours, its runtime seems daunting at first but for the most part, the film is a smooth ride. Its length is felt only during the second half when the interest starts dwindling but the relaxed pace does allow our characters enough space to breathe.Coming to the performances, The Best Years of Our Lives features a terrific cast in Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright & others, and nearly all of them are at the top of their game. March, Andrews & Russell play the trio of characters whose post-war journey is what this film is about. They are all excellent in their roles but the ladies aren't far behind and chip in with strong inputs of their own.On an overall scale, The Best Years of Our Lives is crafted with care, narrated with flair and is incessantly human in its approach. An essential viewing that handles its content with respect, its silent, thoughtful contemplation on PTSD is still as relevant today as it was at its time of release. Firmly grounded in realism & having stood the test of time all these years, The Best Years of Our Lives is one of the best offerings of its kind that's definitely worth your time & money. Thoroughly recommended.

frankwiener This film, expertly and passionately directed by William Wyler, is a fascinating glimpse of America immediately following World War II when scores of veterans returned home from dangerous and distant battles overseas. The story is centered on three servicemen who had each endured combat on land, at sea, and in the air and who found themselves back in their home town of Boone City, which was patterned after Cincinnati. Having dreamed for years of reuniting with those they loved in the familiar, peaceful environment of civilian life, are they adequately prepared for the transition from one world to another? Each of the men carry their battle scars, both physically and mentally, from the battlefield to Boone City.Aside from Wyler's outstanding direction, the screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was very perceptive and often very touching. As moved as I was by the exchanges between Homer and Wilma during the film, I didn't realize just how powerful the impact of their dialogue was until I re-read the words in the "quotes" section on this website. I'm not ashamed to say that I bawled like a baby when I read these words, and that has been a rarity for me at least the past 50 years, maybe even more.I can't employ enough superlatives for the cast, both the leads and the support, especially the three men who played the vets, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and, last but never least, Harold Russell, a non-professional actor who managed to capture not only one but two Oscars for his very credible portrayal of disabled Homer Parish. I also agree with the one reviewer who stated that of the three leading men, the best was the guy who didn't win an Oscar at all, Dana Andrews, in what may be the best role of his lifetime. That having been said, March's drunken speech before the bank bosses at the Cornbelt Loan and Trust was one of the movie's several high moments, not to pun, and initially made me very anxious but then finally relieved.The three lead women, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, and Cathy O'Donnell were excellent as well. While this very important role launched O'Donnell's all too brief career ("They Live By Night", "Ben-Hur"), it was eventually stifled by producer Samuel Goldwyn only because she married the older brother of director Wyler, with whom Goldwyn was feuding, before she tragically succumbed to cancer at the young age of forty six. Virginia Mayo fought for the role of Marie Derry, the selfish, unsympathetic wife of Fred (Andrews), who had fallen in love only with his uniform. I'm glad that Mayo landed it because no one could deliver Marie's nasty, sneering lines as forcefully as she did. "There are drugstores everywhere!" Ouch!

generationofswine I was never censored as a child...but I was encouraged and Dad ALWAYS encouraged my little sister and I to watch AMC back when AMC was showing classic movies all the time.MOST of the time. There were more than a few films that he would use the adult veto on because he hated them as a kid...This was one of them.I can't understand why. I remember watching this when I was around 7 and loving it. So involved in the banker's daughter and the old bomber and would they get together? Would he find a job? Would the guy with no hands make it out OK in the end? As a kid I was hanging on the edge of my seat watching the trio move through the transition from war to civilian life like your childhood babysitter watches a Soap Opera.I was fixated then...now as an adult I unfortunately know how it ends, but am still mesmerized by the beauty of it all and how moving the story is.There are few movies as beautiful and fulfilling as this.

Johan Dondokambey If I watched this movie before I watched Bicycle Thieves, maybe it would've ended up as just another post-war movie for me. But in combo of Bicycle Thieves, this movie tells the complete story from both sides of the war victors and losers; none get the happy live. War torn everything, even the lives of the victors. We see it first hand as how Homer struggles to regain himself after losing his hands. Fred also struggles as he has everything a decent man dreams of, but lacks any other skill that he has to bow himself down to the harsh reality of the available work. AL also struggles morally as he chooses to do the right thing. And as we see only Homer's and Frede's story closes out well, as Al's didn't really get a justified ending to his ordeal. The actors did a great job in bringing live to the scenes.