Roman Holiday (1953) - film review

Princess Ann, the heiress to the throne of an unnamed country, is making a tour of the major European capitals.  During her visit to Rome, she becomes tired of her endless round of public engagements and, late one evening, she slips away from her state apartments to see how ordinary people live.  Having fallen asleep on a bench, she is discovered by Joe Bradley, an American reporter who is having a hard time finding anything newsworthy.  At first failing to recognise the princess, Joe treats her badly but, seeing that she is too dazed to make her own way home, he allows her to stay in his cheap apartment.  The next morning, Ann’s disappearance is creating pandemonium amongst her entourage, who fabricate the story that the princess has been taken ill whilst they send the police out to scour the city for her.  Meanwhile, Joe has realised who his unwelcome flatmate is and sees that Fate has just thrown into his lap the scoop of his life.  Or so he believes...

The film that established Audrey Hepburn in her Hollywood career and rewarded her with her only Oscar is this perennial favourite in which she stars opposite another iconic performer, Gregory Peck.  Hepburn had previously appeared in small roles in around half a dozen European films and had just starred in a Broadway production of Gigi (having been chosen for the part by the author Colette).  With her unwavering air of schoolgirl innocence, the actress was (and still is) a refreshing change from the smouldering sex goddesses who were dominating Hollywood at the time.  

The part of Joe Bradley was originally conceived for Cary Grant, but the actor turned down the role, feeling that he was too old to play opposite the 23-year-old Hepburn (although he would later star opposite her in another film, Charade).  This was Peck’s first comedy and whilst the actor looks uncomfortable playing slapstick, his gentle, everyman persona makes him the perfect casting choice against Hepburn’s alluring, otherworldly princess.  

Roman Holiday was a major box office hit when it was first released and was widely praised by the critics.  The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards – an unprecedented achievement for a comedy – and won three.  In addition to Hepburn winning the Best Actress award, it picked up Oscars in the Best Costumes and Best Story categories.  Dalton Trumbo, who co-wrote the screenplay, was unable to collect his Oscar and was not credited on the film, owing to the fact that he was on the Hollywood blacklist.  (The Oscar was reattributed to Trumbo after his death, awarded to his widow in 1993).

An inverted fairytale that has lost none of its charm, Roman Holiday continues to delight and entertain audiences.  The comedy may be a little clunky in places but this is made up for by the scintillating dialogue and wonderful on-screen chemistry between its two lead actors, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.  Shot entirely in Rome, the film evokes brilliantly the poetry and poignancy of a fleeting love affair without resorting to the kind of insincere schmaltz that is now pretty well endemic in this genre of film.  If the final sequence does not leave you with a lump in your throat and a large damp patch in each eye, you probably need to see a therapist.

© Alex Sullivan (London, UK) 2009

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