The best movie ever made?
Cinemas
EN
Directed by William Wyler
The Best Years of Our Lives
An acclaimed, moving drama.
Drama
Romance
War
1946
2h 51m
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.
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Cast & crew
6What people say
william wyler was like "i'm gonna make a 3-hour film where every single scene is absolutely necessary and every frame is intentioned and it will make viewers feel every single emotion" and HE DID IT and i wept(8/10 from 1946)
I'm struggling to think of what a contemporary equivalent of this would look like.... Something from Hollywood with A-list actors that confronts the emotional and psychological toll of war on fully realized characters while still working as masterfully filmed melodrama... How mentally malnourished are people who hold the (demonstrably false) opinion that new Hollywood movies are somehow more sophisticated than "old ones?" We've been at war for over a decade and we get a few Lone Survivors a year, but where are the stories about soldiers at home? Too uncomfortable to confront, I suppose.
Common questions
What is The Best Years of Our Lives about?+
Three veterans of the Second World War attempt to reintegrate into civilian society and reconnect with their families upon their return home.
Who directed The Best Years of Our Lives?+
William Wyler directed the film, which was released in 1946 and is celebrated as one of the definitive post-war American dramas.
Has The Best Years of Our Lives won any awards?+
Yes, the film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Find more details on Mood.
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