I swore I wouldn’t do it. I tried not to do it. But once I’d started watching The Best Years of Our Lives on TV last night I just couldn’t help myself. It’s Number 37 on the American Film Institute’s List of 100 Greatest American Films and I think it should be higher. It’s very nearly a perfect movie. Every single character is acted with near-perfect pitch. William Wyler’s direction is flawless. The cinematography is incredible. And it’s the truest motion picture I’ve ever seen. With the best-deserved Best Supporting Actor award-winning performance in the history of cinema by Harold Russell.
If you’ve never seen this picture, you owe it to yourself to see it unedited, uncut, and without commercial interruptions. I guarantee you’ll take something away from it.
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If “The Third Man” were not my favorite movie, this would be. Did you know that a few years ago Harold Russell sold his Oscar at auction to raise much-needed cash?
It’s very nearly a perfect movie and, yes, I knew about that. It was a very sad situation.
It would be tough for me to pick a single favorite picture but very high on my list are The Thirty-Nine Steps, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, and The Seven Samurai.