Rating: 
Summary: Should Be Called The Best Movie of Our Lives
Review: The first movie to honestly deal with troops returning from war (WW II). A stellar cast serve as a retutning sailor, Marine and air man who each must deal with their own demons as they adjust to a return to the civilian world which has changed so musch since they went to war! My only complaint was I wish they made a sequel!
Rating:
Summary: One of the few DVDs I will buy...
Review: There are very few DVDs I will buy. I prefer, instead, to just rent movies. However, this movie was an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the story; great acting, good character development, and engaging dialog. A movie that is still heart-warming to see even though it was made more than 50 years ago. No wonder it is considered one of the 100 best films ever made. This was Hollywood at it's best.
Rating: 
Summary: Great story, but the style is dated.
Review: I had long wanted to see this movie. It's supposed to be one of the best ever. However, all I could think of as I watched it was what how much better a modern version could be.As a snapshot of America immediately after the end of World War II, it is valuable. You see the hardships of the soldiers and sailors as they try to reassimilate themselves in civilian society. You see characters deal with renewing ties with family they hadn't seen in years; you see a marriage fail; you see love triumph over tragedy. You can also view the film as a historical document about film-making itself in 1946. From the background music to the cadence of the actors' voices, this is what a great movie in 1946 sounded like. From the smiling faces superimposed over neon night club signs to the deep, dark fades between scenes, this is what a great movie in 1946 looked like. But that's the problem. The movie is more enjoyable as a piece of American history than as an entertaining film. One of my biggest complaints is about Harold Russell. He plays a sailor returning home after having lost both hands in a fire. The fact that Russell truly was a veteran who had lost both hands during the war brings life to the role. His is the most interesting part of the story, because you feel this must have been exactly what it was like for Russell. He is obviously a remarkable man, but he is a poor actor. The movie wouldn't be the same without him, but it was difficult for me to overlook a bungled line or an awkward expression. The academy did not find that so difficult, voting him an Oscar for supporting actor, as well as a special award for being an inspiration to others. The second was well deserved. The other actors in significant roles are fine. They just have that mid-40s style. It worked then, and works now if you have a taste for the nostalgic. And I must say something about the final line of dialogue in the movie. It is delivered by Dana Andrews. It's something like, "We'll get kicked around some." It seems like a very awkward line with which to end the film. It feels as if he is in mid-thought, and the tone of his voice leads you to feel he is about to say something more. But the movie ends there, like a great symphony that reaches a musical climax, then doesn't resolve the final chord properly. We know what the final line of a movie should sound like, and this is not it. The disonance of the line rang in my ears as the scene faded to the credits. I do believe this is a movie that could be successfully remade. The dialogue could be improved, be made more realistic. It would not have to be the gritty, low-brow language that is all-too-common in today's movies, but it's obvious that the writers here were restricted by what was allowable in films almost 60 years ago. I guess we'd end up with a 21st century interpretation of what returning from WWII was like. But what we get here is 1946 Hollywood's version, which is surely just as distorted. This is a movie worth seeing, but a story worth re-telling.
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Summary: A poignant drama that provides insight into post-WW2 America
Review: "The Best Years of Our Lives" is a compelling dramatic masterpiece, and certainly one of the best films ever made. It's not as well known today as other pieces from the period, such as "Casablanca" or "Citizen Kane", but it is nevertheless a classic that deserves ranking with those same films. This film paints a picture of the struggles of World War II servicemen that they faced AFTER the war was over. It was a more personal struggle of men returning home after being away for many years, and after experiencing horrors that their loved ones could never fully understand. They return home as changed people, and come home to changed lives. The story of such a homecoming experienced by thousands of men after World War II is told from the perspective of three fictional characters: Captain Fred Derry, a bombadier in the Army Air Corps (Dana Andrews), Sergeant Al Stevenson, an Army infantryman (Frederich March), and Seamen Homer Parrish(Harold Russell). They happen to meet on the plane to their hometown, having never met before, and immediately form a bond built upon mutual understanding of the experiences of war and the anxieties of returning home again. Captain Derry came from a poor background before the war, and married a blond bombshell (Virgnia Mayo) while in the Air Corps. He hopes to return home to a better life, a nice home with his wife, and a better job. This was not to be, as Derry struggles to try and deal with bad job prospects (no one in the civilian world needs a bombadier) and a cheating wife. In a poignant moment in the film, Derry (at his lowest) tells his Father to throw away the citations for his medals, because "they don't mean anything". His Father reads the one for the Distinguished Flying Cross, signed by General Jimmy Doolittle, and a look of pride comes over the old man's face for his son's heroism that makes you want to cry and cheer all at the same time. It also makes the viewer see how criminal it was for such a man to be made to feel worthless. Sergeant Stevenson comes home to better circumstances, being a banker in the civilian world with a wife, two grown children, and a nice apartment. But he too must confront troubles, as Stevenson must get to know a family that progressed without him, and balance his job with his desire to aid servicemen seeking G.I. Bill loans. He battles with his bank's bosses over the loan issue, and also struggles with alcoholism. Seamen Parrish's problems are the most obvious. He lost his hands during the war, and now must come home to his family and fiancee with hooks for hands. The actor who potrayed Parrish, Harold Russell, was a real disable veteran, and lends credibility to the role that no one else could have due to real life experience. This may seem like a depressing film, but it is actually uplifting in its entirety because it does show that hope doesn't die, and that you really can come home again after all. It is also a film of historical importance due to the insights it provides into post-World War II America, and the struggles of veterans in the post-war years. Captain Derry, Sergeant Stevenson, and Seamen Parrish, and their individual struggles to reclaim their lives can provide the student of history an important perspective on the many real life veterans who returned home, and the country of the time they returned home to. The film has certainly earned accolades over the years. It won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1946. It was named by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 Best Movies ever made, and was also named as one of the most important films of all time by the National Archives for the National Film Registry. "The Best Years of Our Lives" is not to be missed for both its dramatic poignancy and its insight into an important period of American History. And its a beautiful sight to behold in DVD quality.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: I love "The Best Years of Our Lives," and the feel the film has to it, allowing you to identify with the troubles of these returning servicemen. It's a better film than the similarly-themed "Till The End of Time," which deals with many of the same sort of characters. This film is less soap opera, however. It is nice to watch the film on DVD, allowing you to quickly go back and catch some bloopers. For example, at Butch's, Fredric March incorrectly identifies Dana Andrews' and Harold Russell's characters. Watch for it. And speaking of Harold Russell, there are two gripes. Although he would receive a special Oscar, his screen credit doesn't even come up until the second page. Hardly fair since his is one of the three main characters of this film. Also, I think it would have been interesting to see if his girlfriend, Wilma, actually did struggle to accept his loss-of-hands. Beyond that, this is a great film. It's an essential part of any film library.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Movie
Review: I'm over a quarter century old and I love the movies. This remains my favorite movie of all time. I have no idea how many times I've seen it, the first time was on TV in the 1960's and it affected me as no other movie ever has. I quite simply fell in love with it. I saw it once "in person" at a film festival - what a wonderful experience to see it in the theater with a large variety of people. The audience seemed stunned - it is simple, heartwarming, corny - and also tackles complex sociological changes that were coming - but see it for the pure pleasure of experiencing great movie making.
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Summary: Post World War II, but timeless
Review: The intertwined stories of three WWII vets returning to civilian life is one of the most poignant and moving stories ever told on film. Every minute of this three hour movie is needed to tell the story and not a second is wasted. The emotional content of the movie may be wasted on the young, but anyone who has served in the armed forces or waited for someone who is/was serving will appreciate the accurate portrayals of situations and feelings. I'm a 50 year old man and it is one of the few movies to ever "choke me up" and it will do it every time.
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Summary: A True Classic ...A Must See.. For Fredric March and More...
Review: I have recently discovered Fredric March and have collected over 40 of his films. He was a wonderful actor, and I am amazed at how forgotten he has become. I mention his name to people, and they say "Fredric who?". This man was one of the greatest actors Hollywood ever had. Seeing him in this film will only begin to tell the story. Yes, he won his 2nd Oscar for this performance; he won his first in 1932 for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (another great MUST SEE of Fredric's films). He should have won for his portrayal of Willie Loman in "Death of a Salesman"... in 1951, but Bogart got it instead for "African Queen". Anyway, all the other reviews tell you what this movie is about. It is a very good story and all the actors and actresses do a great job. Fred is great in his drunk scene...he often had to play drunks in his films and he was always impressive. Myrna Loy plays his patient and oh so loving wife. She hasn't seen him in 4 yrs.at least, and he comes home, takes them out partying, and while dancing,after having more than a few too many, he says to her, "You know, you remind me of my wife". She calmly plays along, saying, "You never told me you were married." It is a sweet scene. I do not get that he was ever unfaithful to his wife. I felt he loved her deeply. Myrna just stood by him and loved him, she was a wonderful example to me of how to be a loving wife. I liked Theresa Wright as the daughter, and Dana Andrews was great too. Virginia Mayo played a woman you hope you will never be to a man, or hope that your daughter will never be...just selfish and out for fun and a good time. She was a very shallow person. You felt sorry for her. This film has the honor to be in the list of the top 100 films...it is truly a classic and a well told story. I love WW2 history and reading about the war, and so this film sits well with me for that reason too. America went through some great changes socially and economically after the war; this film tells us how some of the people had to deal with the begining of this great cultural upheaval, as well as their own personal readjustment. Don't miss this great story.
Rating: 
Summary: Comparisons of the two DVDs
Review: The 4-star rating reflects the quality of the DVD only, not the movie itself (which is a 5-star). The picture quality of this DVD (the 2000 MGM-released version) is poor, much below the average expected from a DVD. The picture quality of the 1997 HBO-released DVD is slightly better. However, the 1997 version sometimes has annoying black lines running vertically in the middle of the screen. This 1997 release is the one that people complain about having to turn the disc over around the middle of the movie. Both the 1997 and 2000 releases are Full Screen format (contrary to what Amazon.com says about the 1997 release). Considering that the 1997 release costs about twice the price of the 2000 release, you would be better off spending your money on the 2000 release.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking film and DVD.
Review: This film is hard to put into one category. It's part drama, part epic (nearly three hours long!), part romance, and part soap opera. But it does a masterful job of revealing an astringent, non-glamorous, true-to-life series of postwar homecoming stories. The characters are believable because they represent nearly all walks-of-life that exist in the real world: Fredric March's senior-most G.I. who's still in love with his wife of 20 years (Myrna Loy in a beautifully shaded performance), but barely knows his grown kids; the disabled sailor (Harold Russell), comfortable with his hand prosthetics but terrified of everyone treating him differently because of them; and Dana Andrews's bombadier, a hero overseas who comes back home to learn he can't find a job of any kind. Some viewers spoke of a poor quality DVD; this must've been an earlier issue. The DVD I purchased was sterling, and showed off crisp sound and a crystal black-and-white picture. It's a wonderful film to have in a permanent collection.
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