ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Comedy / Romance

Director: William Wyler

Cast: Audrey Hepburn / Gregory Peck / Eddie Albert

Plot

A European princess and an American reporter enjoy a romantic day in Rome.

What I Liked

It’s difficult to say which is more photogenic; romantic 1950s-era Rome in all its historic splendor or exquisite 24-year-old Audrey Hepburn in her major motion picture debut.  With an ancient landmark or gorgeous statue around every corner and teeming with charming locals, the city is beyond gorgeous.  The exact picture of the kind of Rome we all dream of touring.  Hepburn is grace personified and – at least so far as I can tell from the several movies of hers that I have seen – was never more regal and beautiful than in this movie.  She exudes passion and elegance simultaneously in every shot.  Thankfully “Roman Holiday” doesn’t make us choose between the two, allowing us plenty of time to admire both.

Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert are natural and likable as two very casual and decidedly un-regal American bachelors who show Hepburn’s Princess Ann a good time around the city.  They both help by adding some believable masculinity to an otherwise very “chick flick” premise and also serve as mischievous foils for the ingénue Princess.  Most of the film’s comedy comes out of their banter and slapstick silliness, but it is their overall laid-back American manner which helps make the film enjoyable.

That the filmmakers used a mature, thoughtful approach to the ending, instead of a gift-wrapped and implausible happy ending, makes the overall experience even more satisfying.  Rather than a hokey fairy tale that no adult in their right mind could swallow, we are given an ending that makes sense for the situation, yet also leaves us feeling good.

What I Disliked

Technically, “Roman Holiday” hits all the necessary marks for a romantic comedy, with two characters we can enjoy watching falling in love with one another, breath-taking scenery, and a wholly fantastic (as in “imaginary or groundless”) premise.  The humor only rarely falls flat, a situation to be blamed not on the film itself but on modern comedic tastes being far too raunchy to be amused by some of this movie’s more subtle moments.  There’s very little to criticize here except to say that those who are not fond of old Hollywood rom-coms might still find this one dull, with a ridiculous plot.  As for me, I’m no big fan of romance films, but “Roman Holiday” is so well-done and definitive, I found it impossible to dislike.

Most Memorable Scene

Pick any close-up of Audrey Hepburn’s flawless face from this movie and that scene’s a winner in my book. Had she never made another movie, Hepburn would still be remembered as one of the most beautiful women in film history (or any other kind of history, for that matter) simply for "Roman Holiday."

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5