spiderwort
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@spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on May 29, 2023 14:17:25 GMT
On this Memorial day, I offer this, one of my favorite films, in memory of all who fought and sacrificed in various wars throughout the years, including my father, uncles, and high school friends who fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. I am forever grateful for the courage and sacrifice of all who served. The Best Years of Our Lives is a film that grows in my estimation with each viewing. It has so many great scenes, filled with beautiful performances and exquisite direction by William Wyler, who was working with a great script. Three of my favorite scenes are when Frederic March returns to the apartment for the first time after the war (only a GREAT director would dare play that scene in a wide shot!), when Dana Andrews has the nightmare, and when he relives his war experiences in the bomber graveyard (what an extraordinary cinematic construction that is!). My brother, who was a movie lover but generally of more "popular" films, was talking once about Best Years, describing scene after scene in precise cinematic detail. He even fought back tears when he described that bomber scene. He thought the film was a masterpiece, and I agree. More and more I've come to believe that it's one of the best American films ever made. In addition to its cinematic beauty and wonderful performances, there's a fundamental human wisdom about it, a perspective on the human condition that is enlightening, enriching, and elevating without ever being sentimental. Maybe that's a consequence of the war having been so recent that everyone involved brought a deep emotional investment to the project. In any case, there's a human truth to the film that's transcendent, that makes it greater than the sum of its parts. If that isn't real "art" -- particularly in film -- I don't know what is.
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Post by marianne48 on May 29, 2023 15:47:53 GMT
Although I have a copy of the movie, whenever it airs on TV I feel compelled to watch Fredric March's homecoming scene. And I always like that brief shot of the street scene of Boone City with the woman pushing her baby in a stroller, because of the way the baby is standing straight up as if he can't wait to climb out of it and grow up in this peaceful new world (or maybe he senses the Baby Boomers are coming, so he'd better learn to walk and get out of their way as soon as he can).
Harold Russell and Cathy O'Donnell are the least "smooth" of the ensemble cast, which makes their performances that much more real.
And I always wished I had a cool uncle like Hoagy Carmichael's Butch.
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spiderwort
Junior Member
@spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on May 29, 2023 15:51:32 GMT
Although I have a copy of the movie, whenever it airs on TV I feel compelled to watch Fredric March's homecoming scene. And I always like that brief shot of the street scene of Boone City with the woman pushing her baby in a stroller, because of the way the baby is standing straight up as if he can't wait to climb out of it and grow up in this peaceful new world (or maybe he senses the Baby Boomers are coming, so he'd better learn to walk and get out of their way as soon as he can). Harold Russell and Cathy O'Donnell are the least "smooth" of the ensemble cast, which makes their performances that much more real. And I always wished I had a cool uncle like Hoagy Carmichael's Butch. Wonderful comments, marianne, and I couldn't agree more!
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Post by manfromplanetx on May 30, 2023 0:05:35 GMT
On this Memorial day, I offer this, one of my favorite films, In addition to its cinematic beauty and wonderful performances, there's a fundamental human wisdom about it, a perspective on the human condition that is enlightening, enriching, and elevating without ever being sentimental. Maybe that's a consequence of the war having been so recent that everyone involved brought a deep emotional investment to the project. In any case, there's a human truth to the film that's transcendent, that makes it greater than the sum of its parts. If that isn't real "art" -- particularly in film -- I don't know what is. Thanks for your eloquent heartfelt praise of this important film spiderwort, they don't make them like this anymore over your way. I cannot remember much about the film having watched only once and so long ago, but following on from your post here, I will dust off our dvd and have a watch this week...
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spiderwort
Junior Member
@spiderwort
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 9,318
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Post by spiderwort on May 30, 2023 0:45:20 GMT
Thanks for your eloquent heartfelt praise of this important film spiderwort, they don't make them like this anymore over your way. I cannot remember much about the film having watched only once and so long ago, but following on from your post here, I will dust off our dvd and have a watch this week... I don't think you'll be disappointed, planet.
And I have so much more to say about this remarkable film that I think will interest you.
First, it was written as a novella by novelist MacKinlay Kantor, who was a war correspondent during the war. It was then adapted to the screen by playwright/screenwriter Robert E. Sherwood, who served as the Director of the Office of War Information from 1943 until the end of the war. And William Wyler volunteered from 1942 to1945 to serve as a Major in the U.S. Army Air Forces and directed a pair of documentaries: The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944), about a Boeing B-17 and its crew, and Thunderbolt! (1947), highlighting a P-47 fighter bomber squadron in the Mediterranean. Wyler filmed The Memphis Belle at great personal risk, flying over enemy territory on actual bombing missions in 1943. On one flight, he lost consciousness from lack of oxygen. His cinematographer Harold J. Tannenbaum, a First Lieutenant, was shot down and died during the filming. Working on Thunderbolt! Wyler was exposed to such loud noise that he passed out. When he awoke, he found he was deaf in one ear. Partial hearing with the aid of a hearing aid eventually came back years later. Wyler returned from the War a disabled veteran. Harold Russell lost both hands in 1944 when he was an Army instructor training pilots in North Carolina, and a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film, resulting in him receiving two hooks to serve as hands. And Myrna Loy, at the outbreak of the War, all but abandoned her acting career to focus on the war effort and worked closely with the Red Cross. She was so outspoken against Hitler that her name appeared on his blacklist. She also helped run a Naval Auxiliary canteen and toured frequently to raise funds. All that, added to the facts that the war ended on 9/2/1945, and the film was made during 1945/46 and premiered on 11/21/1946 certainly gave it a sense of immediacy to the audiences who had lived through the war shortly before. (I believe it has that same immediacy for those who see it today, even if they don't understand why.) That's all for now. Let me know how you feel after you see the film again.
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Post by mortsahlfan on May 30, 2023 13:50:29 GMT
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Post by Feologild Oakes on May 30, 2023 20:26:00 GMT
I think its a good movie.
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Post by Old Aussie on May 31, 2023 2:19:34 GMT
Great movie.
Among many others, I love the scene where Dana Andrews' father reads his son's commendation from the Air Force.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Jun 1, 2023 3:07:48 GMT
I don't think you'll be disappointed, planet.
That's all for now. Let me know how you feel after you see the film again.
In your words... "enlightening, enriching, and elevating without ever being sentimental..." Thanks to you spiderwort, what more can I say... We thoroughly enjoyed this classic film, timeless in appeal it is a dignified and sincere American drama. Wyler's consummate direction and the superb performances are a standout, a highlight for us also, was the pensive screenplay from Robert E. Sherwood. The futility of war was a common theme of his writing, here in the Best Years in collaboration with Wyler there are many dimensions to the drama. The compelling story is composed of meaningful and noble passages throughout, Sherwood deservedly was awarded an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. I read with much interest the background information you shared, and must say thanks again, I highly value our classic film discussions here and may never have gotten back to this wonderful film without your enticement...
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Post by mstreepsucks on Jun 1, 2023 6:37:25 GMT
It's an alright film except for the cinematography . The cinematography sucks just like in the film the little foxes.
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spiderwort
Junior Member
@spiderwort
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 9,318
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Post by spiderwort on Jun 1, 2023 12:14:46 GMT
I don't think you'll be disappointed, planet.
That's all for now. Let me know how you feel after you see the film again.
In your words... "enlightening, enriching, and elevating without ever being sentimental..." Thanks to you spiderwort, what more can I say... We thoroughly enjoyed this classic film, timeless in appeal it is a dignified and sincere American drama. Wyler's consummate direction and the superb performances are a standout, a highlight for us also, was the pensive screenplay from Robert E. Sherwood. The futility of war was a common theme of his writing, here in the Best Years in collaboration with Wyler there are many dimensions to the drama. The compelling story is composed of meaningful and noble passages throughout, Sherwood deservedly was awarded an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. I read with much interest the background information you shared, and must say thanks again, I highly value our classic film discussions here and may never have gotten back to this wonderful film without your enticement... So glad you watched and enjoyed it again, planet, and I'm happy for whatever part I played in that decision. And I appreciate your comments about it, too. I also very much value our discussions here, I hope you know. They are always a pleasure, and enlightening. I'm so glad for that.
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