--- title: "The Best Years of Our Lives: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Best Years of Our Lives (1946): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics admire this film, and the warmth is consistent across nearly eighty years: the notices from 1946 and the reappraisals since 2000 land in almost the same place. The praise clusters on two things. Harold Russell, a non-professional who lost both hands in the war, is singled out by nearly every review as the film’s centre, his performance described as naturalistic and painful to watch. Gregg Toland’s deep-focus photography draws the second wave of admiration, several critics crediting its long takes with the film’s realism and emotional pull. Reservations are few and mild. Time Out finds it overlong and not quite the film it sets out to be, though still a model of studio craftsmanship. The one outright dissent is The New Yorker’s 1946 notice, which finds the picture heavy and sodden despite good dialogue and a large budget. Otherwise the spread is narrow, with eight of nine reviews positive and none mixed. ## Los Angeles Times — Edwin Schallert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 1946. It attains a sound, solid, real impression of life that is unusually human, appealing and frequently diverting; the presence of Harold Russell as the ex-paratrooper who lost both hands endows it with factual power and is the most moving and central development. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2022-09-06/from-the-archives-best-years-of-lives-saga-of-homecoming) ## Sight and Sound — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2016. The postwar drama from Wyler and Goldwyn mirrors the readjustment struggles of returning WWII veterans through three interconnected stories, using deep-focus photography to explore complex relationships. Audiences of the era found it cathartic and true, with standout moments like Russell’s painful monologue and Andrews’ reverie in a junked fighter jet making it as poignant now as ever. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-films-1946) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 1946. The film is a superior, thrilling exception that catches the drama of veterans returning home from war as no other film has, reflecting delicate tensions, deep anxieties and gnawing despairs with heart, understanding and tremendous talent. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1946/11/24/archives/superior-film-the-best-years-of-our-lives-rings-the-bell.html) ## Variety — Abel Green Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 1946. It is one of the best pictures of our lives; the realism is graphic, the story compelling, the romantic frailties and human little problems typical of the headlines, with inspired casting and all performances equally good. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1946/film/reviews/best-years-of-our-lives-1200414825/) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The review highlights the film's focus on three veterans readjusting to civilian life after WWII, using long deep-focus takes for realism and emotional involvement. It describes the work as an audacious, intelligent achievement that influenced cinema worldwide. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/best-years-lives-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2014. The critic praises the film's portrayal of returning WWII veterans' struggles with readjustment, PTSD, disability, and the burdens of patriotism through its three central characters. It singles out Gregg Toland’s deep-focus cinematography and Harold Russell’s non-professional performance for particular note. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2014. This tender and occasionally tough look at the plight of returning war veterans is one of Wyler’s best films, with a thorough script, splendid performances (including Russell as an amateur amputee actor), and masterful deep-focus camerawork by Gregg Toland. It may be overlong and not quite the masterpiece it aims to be, but it remains a model of fine Hollywood craftsmanship. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-best-years-of-our-lives) ## The New Yorker — John McCarten Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 1946. The picture remains heavy and sodden despite everyone's efforts and good dialogue; Goldwyn had every right to expect something better after spending three million dollars and hiring Robert E. Sherwood. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/11/23/1946-11-23-074-tny-cards-000020490) ## Film Stories — Sarah Cook Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 February 2023. The film is a groundbreaking post-war drama about three veterans struggling to readjust to civilian life in a small town, dealing with issues like PTSD, prejudice, and family strain. The critic singles out Harold Russell’s naturalistic, heartbreaking performance as the standout element alongside Wyler’s deft direction and technical skill. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/the-first-war-movie-to-win-the-bafta-best-picture-prize/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives.md