Review of Roman Holiday (1953) by Michelle W — 14 Apr 2009

Here's the template, the prototype, and the ne plus ultra of the genre. The modern form, of course, pollutes its model by tacking on a happy ending. Here you can see the romantic comedy in its pure form.

Unfortunately, unless you're a true aficionado or a scholar, memories of the million pale imitations may intrude on your experience and make it harder for you to enjoy this movie than it might have been fifty (!) years ago. I kept feeling like the teenage reader of Hamlet who objects to all the "cliches" in Shakespeare. But even a jaded audience can love Hepburn and Peck. Best scene in the movie is when Princess Anne lets her entourage know, with nothing more than a tiny pause, that they are to stay behind while she steps forward to meet the press.