A film
review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net in 2006.
For lovers
of romantic comedies through the ages, Roman
Holiday remains a favorite. Despite being directed by one of Hollywood's heavy hitters, William Wyler (The Best Years
of Our Lives, Ben-Hur), and starring bankable star Gregory Peck, the movie is perhaps best known as the coming out
party for Audrey Hepburn, who won a
Best Actress Oscar in this, her first lead role. Shot on location in Rome with
a budget of about $1.5 million, the film's domestic box-office take of $5
million put it comfortably in the black and established Hepburn as a major
acting force. Because of its romantic appeal and whimsical qualities, this
remains one of only a few black-and-white movies that modern audiences
willingly watch.
It's said
that every girl, at one time or another, fantasizes about being a princess.
Perhaps the converse is true - that every princess dreams about being a regular
girl. Call it a fairy tale in reverse, or one half of The Prince and the Pauper. Whatever the case, that's the premise
underlying Roman Holiday, which tells
of how a princess spends a day in anonymity, away from her watchers. It's an
enduring tale that has been retold many times in many different forms, even as
recently as the Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts romantic comedy, Notting Hill (about an ordinary Brit dating the world's most famous
actress), and the Mandy Moore vehicle, Chasing
Liberty (about the First Daughter escaping her handlers and going out on
her own).
Princess
Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is representing an unnamed European country on a continental
tour. Her latest stop is Rome, and that's where she has a meltdown. When her
secretary confronts her with her schedule for the next day, she has a fit of
hysterics - she's fed up with having every moment of her life planned. The
doctor arrives and gives her a shot that makes her sleepy and happy. In her
drugged state, she slips out of the palace and into the city, where she poses
as a drunk, homeless girl. Reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) finds her and,
feeling guilty about abandoning someone in no condition to be on her own, he
brings her back to his apartment so she can sleep
it off. The next morning, he discovers the identity of his mysterious guest
and begins plotting how he can get an exclusive story out of the situation. He
enlists the aid of his photographer friend, Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert), to take the pictures.
Over the course of the day spent with Ann, Joe's desire to write the story
wanes as his affection for his companion grows.
Roman Holiday was written by Dalton Trumbo under the pseudonym of Ian McLellan Hunter. Because
Trumbo refused to testify before the McCarthy Commission, he was blacklisted,
and could not write anything under his own name for most of the 1950s. Roman Holiday was initially scripted
with the expectation that Frank Capra would direct it, but when Capra learned
of Trumbo's involvement, he backed out. Enter Wyler, who had no compunctions
about working with someone who had been blacklisted. Many years later, after
the blacklisting period had passed, Trumbo was given full credit for his work
on Roman Holiday.
The film
was not the debut of Audrey Hepburn, but it was her first opportunity to take
center stage, and she shines with the beauty and glamour of the star she would
soon become. Hepburn won an Oscar as Princess Ann, and it's not an
understatement to note that she beguiled audiences worldwide with this
portrayal. Roman Holiday began a
decade of memorable performances for Hepburn with a roster that would include
Sabrina Fairchild, Holly Golightly, and Eliza Doolittle (in Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair
Lady). Hepburn also did what few co-stars managed: make Gregory Peck fade
into the background. Peck is fine in the role of Joe Bradley, but he is
diminished whenever he shares the screen with Hepburn.
The film
was made on location in Rome (a fact that is noted in a caption at the end of
the opening credits, making sure that audiences don't think they're watching
sound stage shots mixed with stock footage). This allows Wyler ample
opportunities to show off the best face of the Italian city. With the
black-and-white cinematography helping to take the movie out of reality and
place it into the fairytale land where it belongs, Rome comes across as the
most romantic place on Earth. No blemish is shown. As idyllic as the place may
be, however, do not expect this kind of perfect vacation if you visit.
Ann's holiday
involves all sorts of normal activities which, when done in Rome and while
accompanied by an attractive gentleman, transform her 24 hours of freedom into
an ephemeral love affair. She gets her hair done, spends time walking the
streets and eating in a café, goes for a ride on a motorbike, and visits a
dance club (where a fracas occurs). Although she and Joe steal several kisses,
their relationship never goes beyond that. Roman
Holiday is about the possibilities of love more than the concrete realities.
It reveals something most romantics recognize: the ideal love affair is almost
always one that is never consummated. Especially in circumstances like these,
fantasy is better than reality.
More than
50 years after its release, Roman Holiday
remains a staple of the romantic comedy fan's movie library. It delivers on
everything it promises, from the modern day reverse-Cinderella fable to a
fabric of low-key humor. (The film provides more chuckles than overt laughs.)
The ending, while not downbeat, is the kind of thing Hollywood might mistakenly
change today, but it's note-perfect for the production. If you're in the mood
for something airy and uplifting, Roman
Holiday is the trip to take. [Berardinelli’s rating: *** ½ out of 4 stars]
Academy Award wins: Best Actress (Audrey Hepburn), Motion Picture Story (Dalton
Trumbo), B&W Costume Design (Edith
Head)
Academy Award Nominations: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Eddie
Albert), Screenplay, B&W Cinematography, B&W Art Direction, Editing
Blogger’s
comment: This is a wonderful romantic comedy from a more innocent time in
history. Film buffs who love Notting Hill
(1999) will recall the press conference scene at the end of the film. After
seeing Roman Holiday, you’ll
appreciate where Notting Hill
screenwriter Richard Curtis got the idea for his scene.
Labels:
Cinderella-story, comedy, Fifties, rom-com-faves, romance
Love this!! Thought the same would happen to me when I ventured to Rome. 😍
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