Cheap Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition) (DVD) (William Wyler) Price

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Customer Reviews of Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)

Almost Makes Me Believe
I have always felt that people who think they have fallen in love in a day are either hopelessly silly, immature, or emotionally stunted. This movie is proof that, even in the days before computer animation, great films had the power to make it seem reasonable that pigs can fly . . . or that love really can only take a day. <
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>Audrey Hepburn, in her first star turn, took my breath away in this film, and I still haven't quite recovered. Apparently her effervescent magic was apparent on both sides of the camera, as many in the cast knew before the film came out of the editing room that they had an Oscar contender on their hands. I've seen countless actresses from the heydey of black-and-white film get those softlit close-ups that envelope them in angelic, dreamy auras. But those shots have never seared into my memory the way Wyler's do here. I think it is, in part, because we watch these old films with too much knowledge of how the stars lived out their lives and met their ends. But Hepburn's luminescence was more than an artifact of good film-making. It was part of the natural grace and charity that she never outlived off camera, and all any cameraman ever had to worry about with her was not letting the camera miss what was there rather than trying to create what wasn't. <
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>There can be more room for debate about casting Gregory Peck as the reporter who, in finding his heart, finds his professional conscience. But for me, the Peck-Hepburn combo works beautifully. While Princess Ann is an intelligent, conscientious young woman, she is nevertheless just stepping over the threshold from girlhood and still dangerously encumbered with heedless naivete as she sallies forth into life among the hoi polloi. Peck, in his slightly dour paternalism, creates an anchor of security from which Princess Ann can launch her escapades without leaving the viewer clutching his chair with anxiety. A more rakish or cavalier leading man might have added more of a comedic twist here and there, but he would have also added a tension that would have prevented the spell from crystallizing around that magical twenty-four hours. <
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>After being lofted higher and higher by an airy and delightful (and impossibly fast) romance, we are then brought in for a fast and hard landing. It turns out the seemingly confused, wispy, naive Princess Ann is actually built of stern stuff indeed. Knowing her calling to be one of public duty and rectitude, she had chosen to taste a bit of life on the other side not to make a choice, but to understand more fully the divide that stood between her and those people for whose good she must work without ever being able to be part of it. <
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>Her Roman holiday came at a price she never expected -- a love that would remain unrequitted for the rest of her life. And, with a grace and unspoken eloquence seldom seen on the big screen, she paid it and walked alone into her future. The young princess who had trouble keeping her high heels on at the start of the movie ends it by stepping into a pair of shoes she will never again kick off, no matter how uncomfortable the heels or how long the ceremony.

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Wonderful Film About a Runaway Princess
Audrey Hepburn plays a runaway princess - from an unnamed country - who escapes her cloistered existence for a day in Rome. Gregory Peck plays a down-on-his-luck American reporter who - without telling the princess what he really does - shares the day with her. This movie was made in 1953, so it may seem tame to many viewers by today's standards. But it's funny and sweet and romantic, and it doesn't go all mushy on the viewer. See this, because it's one of Hollywood's most pleasant and enjoyable films.

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Showing Rome to Princess Ann!
"Roman Holiday" (1953) is the quintessence of romantic comedy. <
>All the ingredients are there: a young, innocent princess trying to taste life; a broken middle-aged journalist trying to refill his wallet and... ROME, its monuments, people, music and wine! What else do we need? <
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>William Wyler was a shrewd director author of many outstanding movies as: "Wuthering Heights" (1939), "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) or "Ben-Hur" (1959) amongst others. He won three times Best Director Oscar and was nominated nine more times for the same award between 1937 and 1966. <
>He delivers here a movie-champagne: fresh, exhilarating and yet... moving. <
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>The story opens showing the oppressing life and schedule that a very young Princess Ann must bear thru her protocolar visit to Rome. <
>She decides to escape that night furtively and experiment "real life". <
>In another corner of Rome a bunch of press-men are playing cards. Joe is an experimented and bohemian American reporter, who loses almost all his money to his grateful friends. <
>Both characters meet that in a roman plaza. <
>Princess is under a sedative effect, Joe come to her rescue believing she is drunk and tries to leave her in charge of a taxi driver until she recovers. <
>No way! Fate has designed Joe as her Guardian Angel! <
>Next morning Joe discovers who she really is and tries to get the "exclusive" for him and his photographer, without telling Ann who they are. <
>From that point on a joyful "Roman Cavalcade" starts: Trevi's Fountain, Coliseum, Roman Forum, picturesque street market, crazy motorcycle ride, Police Station and finally a ball on a ship, fist fight included. <
>Voila! <
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>Audrey Hepburn is a real Angel floating over Rome! She transmits an exact balance to her character, which will indelibly remain in every spectator's mind and heart. <
>She won her only Oscar with this performance. <
>Gregory Peck is marvelous delivering an unusual (for him) romantic personage. <
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>Special mention must be done for the beautiful B&W photography in charge of two European cinematographers: Henri Alekan (also responsible for "The Battle of the Rail" (1946)) and Franz Planer, 150 films between 1920-1962 and five Oscar nominations, including this film. <
>For me it was very interesting to compare the present view of Rome with the one given by Fellini in his "La Dolce Vita" (1960). <
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>Film lovers will enjoy this gem! <
>Reviewed by Max Yofre.