Roman Holiday

Sorry I missed you guys yesterday for Valentine's Day (or V-Day for you crazed feminists). As a mea culpa, here's my review of Roman Holiday. Enjoy! I hope to get back to new reviews/commentaries soon, but we'll make do with this for now.

Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is the beautiful heiress to an Eastern European country who is on a goodwill tour of Europe. During her stay in Rome, she becomes sick of her routine and sneaks out of her hotel - unfortunately while under the influence of a sedative. Ne'er-do-well American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) accidentally comes across Ann and after realizing who she is, enlists photographer buddy Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert) to give her a tour of Rome while covertly creating a big news story around her. Exploring Rome and avoiding detection from the police, Ann and Joe fall for each other - but both are forced to face up to their respective duties in the end.

The charms of Roman Holiday have been described a million times over, and undoubtedly better than I possibly could. The leads are utterly charming and lovable, the Roman scenery is gorgeous, the story is a wonderfully enjoyable fantasy, the humor is slight and unsophisticated yet remains charming and funny. For sheer enjoyment, it's hard to find a better film, which proves arguably the greatest romantic comedy of all time.

The film largely succeeds on the petite shoulders of Audrey Hepburn, only 23 when this film came out. Having appeared in bit roles in a number of British films (check out her walk-on in "The Lavender Hill Mob" with Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway) and as the star of the Broadway show "Gigi", Hepburn was on the verge of stardom already. But this film catapulted her over the top, and Hepburn immediately became one of Hollywood's most recognizable and popular icons - a superstar of the type rarely seen today.

Audrey Hepburn is simply adorable as Princess Ann, the spoiled, sheltered European princess who wants to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - having a gellato, attending a dance, getting a haircut, riding a Vespa through the streets of Rome. Audrey has a perfect combination of innocence, beauty and insouciance in this role; she seems like a petulant child, but is so lovable and sweet it's impossible to hold it against her. And certainly, by the end of the film, Ann comes to realize the importance of her role as a Princess. The scene where Ann stands up to her scolding minders shows a much stronger and deeper character than we could have guessed from her early scenes.

Audrey Hepburn's status as an icon, of fashion, class, grace, beauty, and humanitarianism cannot be overstated. Audrey is a timeless symbol of femininity who is much more relate-able to the average girl than, say, Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren. Millions of girls worldwide aspire to be Audrey Hepburn, because she made being a slim, small, shy girl - qualities usually frowned upon in Hollywood and the media - something desirable. Marilyn might be more overtly sexual, but Audrey's screen persona is a believable "real woman" with relate-able personality and desires. She may not be the most versatile actress in Hollywood history, but she was one of the most honest and lovable. And here, in her first major film role, Audrey showcases why.

Gregory Peck is also charming. I'm not inordinately fond of Peck, who even is best roles comes across as a bit stiff, but he is perfect for this role. Joe Bradley is convincing in all of his guises: a lovable, self-serving rogue, Anna's learned protector, and the honest, love-stricken man unwilling to betray the girl he loves. It's one of Peck's best roles, and he pulls it off beautifully.

Eddie Albert as Peck's photographer buddy, Hartley Power as his flustered boss, and Margaret Rawlngs as Anna's stern minder turn in effective supporting performances which add to the film as well.

Roman Holiday is just a classic film. Its status as an icon of cinema is well-deserved, and only the most bitter, mean-spirited cynic could possibly dislike it.