Must See Movie

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2015)

This movie is a drama about three American servicemen, from the same small town, who are trying to adjust to their new lives back in the states after World War II. Fred Derry (Dana Andrews),a decorated young airman, Al Stephenson (Frederic March), an older man serving as a sergeant, and a sailor, Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), who is retuning with the loss of his hands and must use metal hooks. The war has affected each of them in their own way. Al Stephenson, who is coming home to a cushy job at a bank and a very nice family, has a problem with alcohol. Fred Derry comes home suffering from nightmares. He discovers his wife has been cheating on him and is more of a party girl than anything else. Homer has the worst physical transformation of them all. Mentally, he comes home not being able to stand his family feeling sorry for him and then tries to drive his fiancé away when she tries to care for him. All and all this is a serious look of what really happens to soldiers when they return home from war. The performances of these men were superb demonstrating openly the mental and physical realities that go along with the horrors of war. Each performance is subtle and genuine. Al's wife, Millie (Myrna Loy) does an excellent job portraying the supportive wife, helping Al assimilate to his old life. Marie Derry (Virginia May) is looking sharp playing the mouthy, cheating wife of Fred Derry. Teresa Wright deserves a nod too; playing Peggy Stephenson, Al's daughter who falls in love with Fred. This film has amazing cinematography. With the use of deep-focus photography, the meaning of each scene reveals itself to the viewer, instead of just being shown close-up after close-up. For example, the wedding scene between Homer and his fiancé, the director, Wyler, focuses on the entire room, but as Homer and his girl are getting married, we can also see Fred and Al's daughter, Peggy, professing their love to each other. This film runs a little long, approximately three hours, but is certainly a must see. The story is strong and the performances are outstanding. The director, William Wilder, utilizes his years of experience and talent to bring to the screen the most accurate depictions of the combat veterans he came in contact with during his years of service during World War II.