Movie Monday: Roman Holiday (1953)
It feels only appropriate that this week’s Movie Monday be a review of the Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck classic Roman Holiday. Since this week will be full of photos from my trip to Rome, I thought it was the right time to review this movie!
Before I left for Rome I was scrolling through the different television channels and ran into Roman Holiday on one of the channels! I couldn’t resist watching it, and now that I have returned from Rome it is time to review this film.
The magic element to Roman Holiday truly is the story. We start out seeing a beautiful princess traveling countries and charming crowds, we think we know the whole story already. Then we see her talking about wanting certain elements to change, the princess is unhappy with her current lifestyle. What follows is a series of touristy images and a lot of carefree fun!
When I watched this movie the first time, I don’t think I appreciated the story overall. But when I watched Roman Holiday again right before I left for Rome, the scenes and the story made a much larger impact on me. The iconic destinations in Rome were more than just a backdrop, they were apart of the story.
Although Roman Holiday was Audrey Hepburn’s first film, you could never tell. She is as talented as a rookie actress as she is years later. Her subtle way of showing a woman who is falling in love is why Hepburn is such a skilled actress. It just came so naturally to her!
Despite the age difference, I think Gregory Peck is the perfect counterpart to Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday! Many times (especially early on) in Hepburn’s career, she was paired with older leading men. Of all the older leading men in Hepburn films, Peck is one of my favorites (Gary Cooper is my other favorite!).
It goes without saying that Gregory Peck holds his own when it comes to acting and was truly talented. Among all of his iconic roles, Roman Holiday may be one of the most famous. Peck had a way of making even the most seemingly dangerous situations feel like they would turn out alright because of his suave approach.
Even to this day the people in Rome cherish the film Roman Holiday. After my trip to Rome, Italy, I came back with a magnet for the refrigerator with scenes from Roman Holiday on it, so Rome is certainly proud of this movie! I am so happy the spirit behind this classic film is still alive in Rome! Even if this movie has not been seen by all of the people who visit a souvenir shop in Rome and see an item featuring an image of this film, at least it still lives among the streets of Roma!
Much Love,
Sarah
