...do as the Romans do

Yesterday, CineVerse took a detour to Italy via the delightful romantic comedy fantasy "Roman Holiday." Here's an outline of our major discussion points:

WHAT IS IT ABOUT ROMAN HOLIDAY THAT KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION AND INTEREST?

·       On the surface, it’s a rather lightweight romantic comedy without extreme dramatic shifts or plot twists. However, it functions as an interesting short-term romance story in which we’re pulled into the chemistry between Ann and Joe and their individual characters. That’s a function of strong actors who can command our attention not only with physical sex appeal but with personality appeal on a more cerebral level.

·       The story serves as an interesting Cinderella or Pygmalion tale told in reverse, or for that matter, a partial adaptation of the Prince and the Pauper. Even subconsciously, we can relate to it on a fairy tale level.

·       It’s European authenticity is refreshing for a Tinsel Town movie shot in the early 1950s. Roman Holiday was reportedly the first Hollywood film to be shot and processed completely in Italy. We don’t get the fake process shots of stock footage of the streets of Italy in the background or artificial sets and California backlots that are meant to substitute for Italy. The film, therefore, satisfies as a holiday or vacation for the viewer, too, in that we get to go sightseeing around a very sanitized and picturesque Rome.

·       Knowing that this was Audrey Hepburn’s screen debut—in a part that earned her an Oscar for best actress—makes us pay special attention to what must have allured audiences in the early 1950s: she’s a waifish pixie, cute as a button and possessed of tomboy traits but utterly feminine, who exudes a chic charisma and sense of fashion.

·       The film is also a great example of a showcase for the writing talents of a blacklisted screenwriter, in this case Dalton Trumbo, who nobody would hire after he refused to name names during the HUAC witch hunts for supposed communists in Hollywood. Trumbo had to use a front for this picture, although Paramount later added his name to the credits once the witch hunting era was long over.

WHAT MESSAGES AND THEMES ARE PROPOSED BY THIS FILM?

·       Is it possible to carry on a sincere love affair when a man and a woman operate under false pretenses and are dishonest with each other?

·       For women who dream of becoming princesses, be careful what you wish for: it’s possible for princesses to dream about becoming regular women.

·       There’s no such thing as a perfect romance or ideal love affair: it’s fun to fantasize about the possibilities, but the reality is that love in this context rarely happens. Consider the ending of the film as proof of this.

OTHER MOVIES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO ROMAN HOLIDAY

·       Princess O’Rourke, starring Olivia de Havilland, in which a princess falls for an ordinary American Joe

·       Ace in the Hole, Billy Wilder’s acerbic study of a reporter with a scoop who abuses his journalistic privileges for personal gain

·       Notting Hill

·       Chasing Liberty

OTHER FILMS BY WILLIAM WYLER

·       Dodsworth

·       Wuthering Heights

·       Mrs. Miniver

·       The Best Years of Our Lives

·       Ben-Hur

·       Funny Girl