- Actors: Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo
- Directors: William Wyler
- Writers: MacKinlay Kantor, Robert E. Sherwood
- Producers: Lester Koenig, Samuel Goldwyn
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: U
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
- DVD Release Date: 5 July 2004
- Run Time: 172 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00028HCEC
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 29,397 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare. Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) is returning to a loveless marriage; Sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric March) is a stranger to a family that's grown up without him; and young sailor Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) is tormented by the loss of his hands. Can these three men find the courage to rebuild their world? Or are the best years of their lives a thing of the past? Featuring a brilliant cast that includes Myrna Loy and Virginia Mayo, this postwar classic garnered seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Heart-wrenching, touching and filled with emotional dynamite, this is "undoubtedly one of the finest and most satisfying achievements in American Cinema" - Radio Times
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
126 of 129 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is quite simply my favourite film of all time . The 163 minutes pass by in no time and the fact it won 7 academy awards is a further pointer . The story is simplistic ...3 American serviceman return from war duty with a mixture of relief at coming home to fear at how their families will react to their reappearance after years away with differing outcomes...the signature performance for me is from the disabled serviceman who was plucked from total obscurity to play this role and whose story is the most poignant . The direction from William Wyler is magnificent and a further delight is the musical score which undoubtedly squeezes every ounce of emotion from your body as you watch the film cover a mutliplicity of scenarios that beset the returning serviceman and their loved ones at that time .I am a relatively stereotypical middle-aged man who keeps his emotions in check and in the last 30 or so years that has passed since first watching the film (I have seen it at least 15 times over the years ) it has brought tears every time ...a masterpiece it truly is and I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to look at a definitive reflection of the emotional side of war when heroes who have served their country (try to) return to the physical and emotional ties of their civilian life .Yes , it is over 50 years old and dated to many but as someone who is a genuine film buff who has watched and enjoyed many genres of films made from all decades this one is my all-time favourite . Buy it and enjoy ....
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Before Platoon, before Coming Home, before even Apocalypse Now, there was this film. Made in 1946, it grabbed nearly every major Academy Award in a year where there was plenty of stiff competition. And it's not hard to see why. Dana Andrews gives a riveting performance as the USAF Captain shipped home after the war to a life of menial work in a perfume store. Along the way he meets Frederic March (who won the Oscar for his performance as an upper class banker whose life is changed forever by the war) and a young disabled war veteran with hooks in place of hands. Although the subject is serious, the film has plenty of comedy to keep it light and stop it from becoming downbeat. But the real story is how these men have to cope with being thrust back into a normal, trivial world. It's a subject handled with shocking realism - from Andrews' disturbed nightmares to March's drinking and the disabled hero's depression. One of the film's most powerful scenes is when Andrews strolls through an aircraft graveyard, and we can't help but think he's destined for the same fate. But amid the social comment, there's also a tender love story, a Scrooge-like tale of a banker who gains a conscience, and a story about redemption and hope amid the poverty of post-War America. The film stands up to scrutiny after over sixty years, and reminds us that once upon a time, Hollywood made films for grown-ups too.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Captivating film that has stood the test of time. Great storyline and acting. The film also has a positive message about life which many current films dont have. Really enjoyed it. Uplifting. Recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Troops are Coming Home.....
Though we had a plethora of films about troops returning from the Vietnam war and trying to re-integrate back into their societies, most of which were hard-hitting, angry voices... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Tim Kidner
Classic
Lovely old classic film, big story to be told along this DVD, it was very moving to watch, I first saw it over 30yrs ago.
Published 4 months ago by A. lacey
40s magic
three men come home from the war, and find it difficult to pick up where they left off.It stars fredric March,myrna
Loy,Teresa Wright,Dana Andrews and Virginia Mayo and also... Read more
Loy,Teresa Wright,Dana Andrews and Virginia Mayo and also... Read more
Published 6 months ago by alana
Took us back in time
Anyone who likes old films will love this especially if they saw it yearssssssss ago. It took us back to quite a few years ago.
Published 9 months ago by Jacqui Smith
Possibly the best film ever made
Anyone who hasn't seen this film will be agog to discover at the end of it that they've sat through around 160 minutes. Read more
Published 14 months ago by M. P. Campbell
Classic Hollywood
This film remains one of my "all time" favourites.
It has the big stars of the period, but somehow they don't matter too much. Read more
It has the big stars of the period, but somehow they don't matter too much. Read more
Published 15 months ago by nels68
Is that Chopsticks You're Playing, Hoagy?
A very good post-war gently soap operatic piece with some effective naturalistic performances, especially from Myrna Loy (lovely) and Frederic March (the profile still intact. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mario
The joy of expectation ...
For its period, this is an astonishing film and it must have been obvious at the time that the Oscars would have to go to a film like this. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ole Jastrau
As good as when I first saw it back when it was released.
It hasn't dated since the day it was released and in view of the current world situation it remains very much a similar situation as it did for servicemen returning from war.
Published 22 months ago by Colin M. Limming
The Best Years of Our Lives Music Score
Other comments about William Wyler's finest film ("Ben-Hur" notwithstanding) cover the basics. To these I add my own personal comments about Hugo W Friedhofer's Oscar-winning... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Slasher
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