Many films, some epic depict the ravages, sacrifice and history of war. You would be hard pressed to find a Memorial Day weekend that doesn't include airings of Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon and a host of other war movies. The best among them is William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives. This 1946 film tells the tale of three soldiers returning home from World War II to small town America chronicling their reentry into society. It is a story about the reconciliation of how war impacts individuals and the families who love them. At a time when propaganda and glorifying war were the standard bearer this film takes an honest look at the very real struggles that resulted in towns across America for the men coming home from war. Not just the injuries they suffered in battle, but the insults they endured returning to a society that was ill prepared to embrace them.
The film follows Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), Al Stevenson (Fredric March) and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell). Three men who become friends after sharing a plane and cab ride home at the end of the war. Each apprehensive about returning to the families and lives they left behind share an instant bond and immediate loyalty to each other. That loyalty becomes the unbreakable bond that serves as the backbone of this film. We watch Fred who rises to become a decorated Captain is summarily relegated back to the unskilled worker he was prior to going overseas. He returns home to a life that has moved on without him. Al on the other hand left the comforts of an upper middle class life and returns to find little has changed around him except the growth of his children, yet he is far removed from the person who left for war. The juxtaposition of these two men creates bookends for the film played out in unexpected friendship and envy. Fred found purpose in the war he never had only to see it erased by coming home while Al suddenly sees the frivolity of his life and seeks to bury that shame in self destruction. Both men search for the bridge that connects their past to their present in a meaningful way. Where they find it is one of the most humbling aspects of this film.
Perhaps the most poignant of the three men's stories is that of Homer, portrayed by real life WWII vet Harold Russell. When Homer's ship was sunk, his arms were burned off below the elbow and he is given metal hook prostheses in place of his hands. Interestingly, Homer does not take on the dark ravages of war. On the contrary Homer represents the innocence of so many of the young men sent overseas and the ignorant bliss small town life held. Once the star quarterback engaged to his childhood sweetheart his physical war wounds question his core identity. Homer remains noble but is haunted, not just by the physical loss he's endured but the belief that this loss translates to the life he had once hoped and assumed he would live.
We watch as all three men navigate their assimilation back into their families and town, often in fits and starts. Their self-redemptions are hard earned as they recalibrate their perspective on the world post war and rebuild their lives. Wyler's film portrays this struggle realistically and without pretense. He offers a voyeuristic view into the coping and survival mechanisms that are often self-destructive, unlikeable and at moments cringe worthy. The only safe harbor for these men is each other.
This film is a triumph due in no small part to its excellent cast, thoughtful script and innovative cinematography. Complimenting all of this is the film's moving musical score. Lesser known than many of his contemporaries Hugo Friedhofer's music perfectly establishes the mood and melancholy that our lead characters embody. Listening to the sequence when Homer returns home and into the eager arms of his younger sister and fiancé perfectly conveys the innocence and optimism they carry in the relief he is alive. It is a sharp contrast to the pained distance portrayed on Harold Russell's face. There are a dozen or so of these scored moments when you can appreciate the power of music in storytelling. When done right you are able to close your eyes and envision the director's scene. Few scores do this better than Friedhofer's in this movie. It is a movie I could literally love with my eyes closed and never feel I had missed an emotional cue.
The late Roger Ebert once said no good movie is long enough just as no bad movie is short enough. With a running time of nearly 3 hours this film languishes in moments that are unrushed and paced in a manner that reflects the fits and starts of onboarding back into lives that didn't stop while these men were off at war. All of which feels necessary for advancing the story. This film takes great care to tell a story that was often untold, that even in victory there is no glory in war. War changes the very fiber of one's soul and those scars remain long after the flags are retired and the memorials are built. This film makes visible both the external and internal wounds of Fred Derry, Al Stevenson and Homer Parrish and through them lays tribute to the many men and women who have given their lives over for the fabric and ideals of our freedom. It is one of the great films ever made and a resonating tribute to all that Memorial Day symbolizes. This is three hours worthy of any movie fan's time.
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