Review of The Way We Were (1973) by Robert H — 21 Feb 2016

In my experience of watching movies, THE WAY WE WERE is a rare bird: a romantic drama that isn't corny, has complex characters, and weaves in sociopolitical commentary without being overbearing about it.

Given the title (and absolutely beautiful title song), nostalgia is one of the film's major themes. Yet nostalgia isn't approached from a purely idealistic standpoint either, as a third-act line from Hubbell (Robert Redford) indicates ("Katie, it was never uncomplicated").

The film, to a degree, is about how politics can be divisive, particularly in personal relationships, but also in one's professional life, as part of the story takes place against the backdrop of McCarthyism and the Blacklist in Hollywood.

I found the whole thing to be extremely well-written and balanced, with Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford's characters each making valid points about devotion to causes, perception vs reality, and relationships.

I haven't seen a lot of movies with either person, but both of them were in very good form here. And, the film had a very strong three-act structure that brought out the central relationship's development that much more.

On technical matters, I thought period detail was attended to very well, with each segment/act being distinct in terms of light, color, etc. Then, there's the title song. Barbra Streisand has a beautiful voice that fit Marvin Hamlisch's music to a tee; and, the music itself did an excellent job of evoking a sense of nostalgia throughout the entire running time, appearing in various forms and instrumentation over the course of the film.

It is without hesitation or reservation that I put this among one of my favorite films of all time. Everything about it just works, from the story, the acting, the music, etc. It's the kind of movie that will have you longing for the "good old days," even if you never grew up during that time period.