The Best Years Of Our Lives – (William Wyler, 1946)
"One of my favourite movies of all time is William Wyler's Best Years Of Our Lives from 1946. It tells the story of three returning veterans from WW2. This is a movie that was so far ahead of its time and so forward thinking. I'm going to say it was absolutely the first movie that really portrayed the effects of divorce on screen and the effects of post traumatic stress disorder on wounded and disfigured soldiers trying to get back into regular life and back to the ultimate strength of the family. It's a magnificent movie that always brings me to tears. What's also wonderful about it is the fact that it was made in the classic Hollywood system - Samuel Goldwyn produced it and it had some major stars of the time like Myrna Loy and Dana Andrews - yet it feels so contemporary. The cinematographer was Greg Tolland, who shot Citizen Kane and was known for his incredible lighting and deep focus black and white photography. I'm sure Kubrick channelled this film occasionally. It's a wonderful movie. Check it out."