It can be a hard balancing act making a film that explores dark issues from the real world alongside a quite comedic and ultimately feel-good movie that leaves a smile on your face. That Wyler's film handles this balancing act so well is perhaps its greatest achievement as it covers a whole array of issues and ideas many of which are tragic, whilst also possessing that feeling of innocence of much Golden Age Hollywood with a sense of humour that never fails to delight.

One of the gentlest and most understanding films I've ever seen.

Unbelievable performance from Harold Russell.

Implodes with emotional stability and joy. Loved it.

This film shows, for a 40s movie in a very low-key way, that most of the soldiers return home affected to some degree. I think that this movie contains more actuality than it is sometimes given credit for, because there are still wars and soldiers still return home facing more or less the same problems.

141

2nd highest grossing film ever (at the time), 8 oscars including best picture... and now today it's pretty much unknown except among film buffs. Shame, because it's really a wonderful film.

An innovative and critical work in a moving post-war film. Classic.

A moving, look at the rehabilitation of WW2 GI's into society. It was probably quite radical for its day. Some fine acting keeps the film interesting despite its long run time.

Best film made about returning WW II GI's.

Great post-war drama with good acting (oscar winners: March and Russell). One of the best things about this film is the character development (one of the best I've seen) but tends to go to far in that direction. Wyler almost forgot what was the most important thing, which is difficulty in adapting to life in post-war USA. However, If you want to win an oscar, You have to be willing to sacrifice.

At times schmaltzy and distrusting of the audience, this is nonetheless an immensely powerful film. Watching that naive young girl clutch her tortured boyfriend's hook-hand with both a look of uncertainty and of complete adoration will downright break your heart.

I like that this story takes on the harshness of war from an unusual perspective. Typically, you see how it traumatizes men as it's happening, i.e. horrors on the battlefield. But here we see something a lot more interesting: How that trauma impacts the soldiers' lives back at home. Generally the story is over when the war is over, but here it's only begun when the war is over.

An incredible film about three soldiers of different ranks coming home after WWII and having trouble fitting into their old lives. Can be melodramatic at times, but that doesn't hold the film back at all. The story moves in mostly unexpected directions and the performances are sublime, especially oscar winner Harold Russell, who actually lost both hands in the war and plays a man at odds with his disability.

I like the idea behind this movie a lot better than the execution. The stories are compelling, but the individual scenes are overlong and overdramatized. I can see why it is counted among the great films, but it could have been more concise.

Although I didn't love this movie enough to put it in my top tier, I'd classify it as a "must see". You might think a film made in 1946 about the hardships of returning WWII vets would seem outdated or unsophisticated 65 years later, yet it often seems fresher and more true-to-life than any contemporary film covering the same ground. The authenticity of the characters from the very opening scenes on, and the style of humour in the dialogue are also remarkable.

#130

3 Shaqtaculars

92.750

Brutally honest, heartbreaking depiction of soldiers coming home from war. Very well written, directed and acted. Makes Oliver Stone's 'Born on The Fourth of July' look like a light-hearted rom-com.

Gee whiz, this sure is a mighty swell movie! Every single step taken slowly, hand-in-hand with the audience, while Gregg "ADHD" Toland fuels his über short attention span by packing images to the fullest (and that may be the best thing about this film).. It's basically Spielberg's wet dream and I prefer John Woo's version.. Too much stupid Americana ruined it for me, but Sarge's drinking habits sure made up for that - Cheers!

Well ahead of its time, this movie shows honestly and up close what happens when men return from war. No sugarcoating here, this is the type of film you'd have expected to be produced in post-Vietnam era, not post WWII when all anyone wanted to hear was "Rah rah, go vets!" What a great piece of work, and one that anyone wanting to send our boys off to war wantonly should be forced to see over and over.

Wyler shows his skill by perfectly blending drama and comedy in this portrait of three ww2 veterans. All characters are wonderfully drawn and multidimensional, the humor is subtle, the problems it touches realistic, and nothing is simply black and white. Alas, although it's a masterpiece of cinematography, it's also a lengthy film (3 hours), and focusing on problems specific to post-war america, making it hard to relate to for most viewers, and maybe just a bit boring.