Director: William Wyler
Writer: Ian McLellan Hunter, John Dighton, Dalton Trumbo (Screenplay)
Starring: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, Margaret Rawlings
Plot: A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.
Runtime: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Classic
Story: Roman Holiday starts as Princess Ann (Hepburn) is on her European tour to improve relationships between the countries, her schedule is hectic, finally getting to her, forcing her into needing a break from the visits, meetings and speeches, before she decides to escape the guardians.
Getting drunk, American newsman Joe Bradley (Peck) finds her needing someone to rest, unaware of her true identity, he offers her a new view on the city, while the royal officials go in search for Ann, while she finally gets to enjoy her life for the first time.
Thoughts on Roman Holiday
Characters – Joe Bradley is the newsman always looking for the next big story, he was meant to be involved in an interview with Princess Ann, before the events of her night out came to light, only he knows who she really is and spends time befriending her and showing her Rome, in hope of getting his own story. Princess Ann is getting tired of her press tour of Europe, she wants to escape the routine, which she believes she has, when it comes to meeting Joe, she enjoys the freedom and getting to know somebody who isn’t going to be doing everything for her.
Performances – We have two of the greatest actors in the history of film here Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, both get to show why they are considered two of the greatest, showing excellent screen presence through the film.
Story – The story here follows a Princess on a European tour, who wants to escape the busy schedule and finds an American, who just so happens to be looking to interview her and the two spend 24 hours exploring Rome. This is a story that does show how the pressure a royal member has when it comes to being in the spotlight, which Princess Ann wants to escape from. The story is clever enough to have everybody know the truth, without giving the truth to each other, while managing to show that spending time together, means they will be doing the right thing once they get to know each other.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy in the film comes from how the two as they get into different situations through the day together, with the romance being more of a what if, between people from very different worlds.
Settings – The film is set in Rome, which is a wonderful backdrop for the film, one that works and does look beautiful.
Scene of the Movie – The dance together.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Nothing.
Final Thoughts – This is a classic that should be essential watching for any film fan in the world, it shows two of the greatest, with one of the simplest and most enjoyable styles of film.
Overall: Truly Enjoyable.
