The Best Years of Our Lives Film - Essay Example

This movie reflects the worrisome time phase when the entire world was undergoing a harsh transition. This movie revolves around the lives of three war veterans who were returning home with the harsh and brutal memories of the war. This was the time when entire Europe and Japan was devastated culturally, socially and economically and America was enjoying the supreme power and hold in greater parts of the world. This movie shows that how those veterans were to be lived in this change with unstable economy and unpredictable life.

This movie answers some of the reality based questions in a liberal manner regarding social reformism of Franklin D.Roosevelt. It was expected that this social reformism was about to come to an end. The film contains the hardest realities of unrest social conditions and uneasiness. One cannot ignore the fact that it was the crucial time in the world’s history filled with depressing times and social unrest. The Purpose of the Film: The purpose of this film was to express the social turmoil the world was going through and the return of soldiers who were filled with the hard memories of the war. . Message Conveyed Through the Film: The movie, Best Years of Our Lives expresses a very strong message that how veteran who have returned home were trying to cope with their normal day life.

The movie shows that how difficult it became for the officers of the wars to sustain and maintain their social prestige in the society while working at the low level jobs and how they were viewed by the people in general. Without realizing their situation and hardships, people accused them for participating in a “wrong war” as in the case of Fred Berry who after returning from war is now working as a soda jerk. He was accused of having fought with the wrong enemy by the people around him and eventually, his social life ends in distress.

The same happened with Parrish who was being offered the job of a salesman by his girlfriend’s father due to the harsh reality for being a disable person which would set his image as an object of pity for the people (Charles Boogle). William Wyler has tried to convey the message that how people react and behave towards soldiers who are already bound by the harsh experiences of war-time. Conclusion: The movie is intended to entertain those audiences which are keen to know the lives of the soldiers, their experiences during the war and the hardships they go through.

The movie is an artistic masterpiece which depicts the real lives of soldiers and their hardships. Work Cited: Boogle, C. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946): realism and reformism. (2007). Web http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/aug2007/best-a11.shtml accessed online on 12th April,