Review of The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) by A.j. A — 03 Aug 2010

Simply put, one of the finest motion pictures ever made. From Sherwood's exceptional screenplay to the marvelous, yet beautifully understated, acting; from Wyler's adroit direction and the superb cinematography by Gregg Toland (employing the deep focus photography he perfected with Citizen Kane), to the magnificent Oscar-winning score by Hugo Friedhofer (among the finest ever written for the screen), this picture is a snapshot of our republic that would have moved the Founders to tears. A film deeply imbued with humanity and decency, experiencing it cannot but make one a better human being.

After Francis Goldwyn read an article entitled "The Way Home" in the 7 August, 1944, edition of Time magazine concerning the travails of servicemen returning from the war to civilian life, she showed it to her husband; producer Samuel Goldwyn was so moved, he decided to make of a film on the subject.

Goldwyn hired writer, newspaperman and former war correspondent MacKinlay Kantor to write an original story, which became the best-selling blank-verse novella "Glory for Me" (1945); Kantor would later win a Pulitzer Prize for his Civil War novel "Andersonville.".

Goldwyn then turned to playwright Robert E. Sherwood to turn Kantor's story into a screenplay. Former Director of War Information and speechwriter for FDR (it was he who coined the phrase that became "the arsenal of democracy"), Sherwood had already won three of his four Pulitzer Prizes and was himself no stranger to the cinema (he had co-written the screenplay for Hitchcock's first American film, "Rebecca," 1940). The result was titled "The Best Years of Our Lives.".

Himself fresh out of the service, William Wyler was an ideal choice for director. Commissioned a major in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Wyler flew actual combat missions while making two classic documentaries, "The Memphis Belle" (1943) and "Thunderbolt" (1944). His courage while filming under extreme and life-threatening conditions earned him an Air Medal - and promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

Conducted by Franco Collura leading the London S.O., a superb re-recording of Hugo Friedhofer's Oscar-winning score was made in 1978 and released by Preamble on Lp; in 1988 they issued the CD.

Preamble is no longer extant, but Australian 'Label X' obtained the rights and in 2000 reissued a new digital transfer from the original master tapes in the best sound to date. It was still available as of 8 August, 2010.

10/10.