The Best Years of Our Lives

             All wars, regardless of the magnitude of its loss of life or the geographical breadth of its destruction, posses a number of defining characteristics. One of these traits actually takes place after the war. Almost all soldiers, upon returning home, engage in an emotional struggle nearly as great as the physical one they fought on the battlefield. The homecoming, while generally regarded as a joyful occasion, is not without it's down side. Soldiers are faced with the daunting task of having to re-integrate themselves into an unfamiliar lifestyle, rediscover themselves with their families, and attempt to put the atrocities of war behind them while simultaneously coping with more basic problems, such as finding new employment. These topics are often avoided and overlooked by the media, yet director William Wyler's Oscar winning film, The Best Years of Our Lives, confronted these issues through the return and process of re-acclimation of World War II veterans.
             The Best Years of Our Lives focuses on three veterans' return to their home town of Boone City after having passed several years in the Pacific Theater. The eldest, a man in his forties named Al Stephenson (Fredric March), was an infantry soldier. The youngest, Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), a Navy man, lost both hands and now wears cleverly-designed metal hooks. Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), the third member of the crew, is a highly decorated Air Force captain who commanded bombing missions. While Homer's injuries are the only visible ones, each of the men clearly suffers a heavy psychological burden.
             One-by-one, as the men are dropped off at home, we meet their families. Homer, who still lives with his parents, is greeted with mixed joy and chagrin. His mother and father are elated to see him although there are moments of awkwardness when their eyes fall upon his lost hands. Homer had previously revealed his anxiety to Al and Fred regarding how his f...

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The Best Years of Our Lives. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:34, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/95360.html