DISCLAIMER: My reviews often DO have spoilers, so if you do not like spoilers, you might want to wait until you’ve seen the film yourself before proceeding.
Roman Holiday, by far, is one of those magically beautiful films you see & never forget. It is one that when you watch, you enjoy it just as much as you did the first time— if not even more. I’ll never forget the first time I saw this masterpiece. It played such a positive role in my life, a very pivotal one for a girl who had just recently had her thirteenth birthday. Becoming a teenager is such a wild, confusing time in one’s life. Learning that class, mystery & elegance are much more attractive than the apparent opposite was such a good thing for me to see at that age & seeing that very thing portrayed by the exceptional actress Audrey Hepburn imprinted that in my heart for life.
Enough reminiscing about the past. Now, onto the point of this “film review” & why Roman Holiday will remain my favorite classic romance films of all time.
I’ve always been an avid lover of classic films, music & such, so when my parents presented me with “Roman Holiday” for my milestone of a thirteenth birthday, I was naturally elated! I had heard so many positive accolades for the film, so naturally, I couldn’t wait to watch it! I had never truly seen a film with Audrey Hepburn, (I don’t count trying to watch & understand “My Fair Lady” at age 6) so I was even more excited about the film. After watching it, I was utterly, hopelessly, undeniably hooked from the first few moments. Audrey’s breathtaking beauty & class, Gregory Peck’s dashing good looks & charm, & of course, Eddie Albert’s kookiness & comedy. I even wanted to cut & style my hair like Audrey’s.
Looking back on that film many, many years later (yipes!), I see so much more in it than just a runaway princess who lives it up for one day in Rome & falls in love in the process.
Growing Up
In the film’s first portion, when we see Princess Ann, she is a seemingly cooped-up princess, a princess longing to live life, to feel & experience it in every way imaginable. To me, she is a free spirit but one trapped in schedules, routines & the royal protocol. In her eyes, the only way to break this vicious cycle is to escape. In some ways, I agree. If it wasn’t for Princess Ann’s grand escape, she wouldn’t have grown into a more well-rounded, experienced & mature & more founded woman. I think we see Princess Ann in a more childish light in the beginning, but by the end, she has learned the balance between fun, a “holiday” & duty. It is undoubtedly evident that she has grown & blossomed into a sensible, wise & strong woman.
Sometimes, Holidays Are A Much Needed Thing!
As in Princess Ann’s case, it is obvious that all work & no play can make us pretty dull & depressed. Spontaneity & splurging in life are a must & the people you meet along the way just add to the loveliness of the adventure. Whether it’s eating gelato, chopping off your long locks, taking a wild ride on a Vespa, or going to a dance that turns into a bit of a brawl, we see the unexpected twists & turns that Princess Ann’s holiday brings can mold us into more experienced, cultured, well-rounded & exciting human beings.
New Hair, New Woman
I think a top favorite moment in the film is when Princess Ann goes into the hairdresser’s shop to get the famous “Italian haircut” that was all the rage in the 1950s. I think this is when we start seeing Princess Ann slowly transforming into a more confident, independent woman. She’s tasting all the sweet wonders of freedom & independence & because of that, she decides to make a bold statement with her hair, & rightly so! After all, it is her hair! (Besides, if you spent a day in Rome under the blazing sun eating gelato, I’d bet the less hair, the better. )
That’s Amoré
There’s no arguing that the romance between Princess Ann & Joe Bradley is absolutely heart-flutter-worthy, sweet, precious & passionate. I love how they just sort of “stumbled” upon each other & in the process, they sort of just “stumbled” into love as well. What originally was a sneaky newspaper assignment for Joe Bradley turned into so much more, & what was the holiday of a lifetime for Princess Ann turned into a holiday never to be forgotten. They changed each other’s lives forever. Having Joe by Ann’s side helped mold her into a better woman & experience first love….& heartbreak. Having Ann by Joe’s side molded him into a better man, a man of more excellence, honesty & integrity than when they first crossed paths. Roman Holiday goes down as one of my very favorite “first kisses” in old Hollywood cinema as well.
Responsibility Can Sometimes Mean Making Difficult Decisions
*Spoiler alert*
Sometimes, while watching the Roman Holiday, you can almost forget that she is actually a princess. Amid her grand escapade in Rome, her royal family & her people are distraught & overcome with worry due to Anne’s disappearance & for the overall future of their country. Towards the film’s end, Princess Ann realizes this very thing after hearing a radio broadcast while in Joe Bradley’s apartment. Duty & responsibility can not be forgotten & Princess Ann makes the heart-wrenching decision to return to her duties as a Princess. To quote Joe Bradley:
It is a bitter pill to swallow but a fact of life that we will face most likely more than just a few times in life. Sometimes, we won’t always get what we like or want. Sometimes, we will have to sacrifice things in favor of others & for an overall better outcome. Even though this was an evidently horribly painful decision Princess Ann had to make, in the final moments of the film, we see a completely changed individual than when we first met her in the beginning. She carries herself with such a new attitude & confidence. She has learned balance & has become better at it. She has become a WOMAN.
To sum up my review, I highly recommend watching Roman Holiday if you ever have the chance. It is a perfect combination of fun, drama, romance, comedy, &, well– perfection! (Just make sure you have a Kleenex tissue box at the ready!)
I hope you all enjoyed this review. I have always wanted to write movie reviews but never felt confident about it. I want to try doing new things more & more, so this was one of the things on my list. I really enjoyed it tremendously & might do this more often. I am trying to add variety to my blog, so this might be the ticket.
Thank you for reading!