Unbelievably Honest Movie for Its Time

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2006)

It's been a long time since I've seen "The Best Years of Our Lives," and I'm sure I was way too young when I did see it to fully appreciate it, but even then I could tell it wasn't quite like other old black and white movies I was used to.
This film came out during a period in which Hollywood was interested in producing socially conscious message movies. "The Lost Weekend" addressed alcoholism; "Spellbound" addressed psychotherapy; "Mildred Pierce" addressed the impact WWII had on the women left behind; "Gentlemen's Agreement" addressed anti-Semitism. But these other films were heavy-handed, steeped highly in melodrama, and they seem laughable today, despite their good intentions. "The Best Years of Our Lives" is different. It's a highly sensitive and understated look at what happened to men when they returned from WWII and tried to acclimate themselves back into the world they left. And remember that this came out not ten years after the end of the war, when historical perspective could safely remove the sting. This came out one year after the war's end! How often does a film, especially from back then, directly address a social concern while it's actually happening.
This movie follows three men and their stories. We see Fredric March return to the bank at which he formerly held an executive position, forced to take a menial, secretarial job well below his skills. The pettiness of the civilian world is brought home to him when he gets into an argument with a supervisor over office supplies. We see Dana Andrews return to a wife that he doesn't know anymore, and who doesn't know him. Other war stories show men and their loves pining for one another while they're separated, faithfully awaiting the time when they can be together again. They don't mention that perhaps the strain on the relationship can cause people to fall out of love. And in the film's most uncomfortable storyline, we see a man who has lost both arms trying to deal with being handicapped in a society in which people with handicaps are viewed as second-class citizens. Much has been made of the fact that Harold Russell (who won both a special Oscar and the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role) was not a professional actor, and was handicapped in real life. It's really amazing to think how brave this movie was in speaking frankly about one topic after another that until that time had remained unspeakable.
This movie definitely deserves a second look from me, and a first look from anyone who hasn't seen yet seen it at all.
Grade: A+