best year of our life be a film that slip under my radar for year i have hear about it and but never have the opportunity to watch it . thanks to tcm on demand and i be able to watch it uncut and commercial free . what surprise me about this film be how quickly it be make after the war . the film frankly deal with the people who be wound in the war and both physically and mentally . it manage neatly to encompass nearly all the variety of war experience within three character . we have the air force officer and who be a veteran of the early european bombing campaign . because of the horrific attrition rate amongst the crew of the bomber and the air force at that time have a reputation for crank out officer who quickly rise through the rank . such be case with this fellow who go from a lowly soda jerk in civilian life to a captain and bombardier of his b 17. he also suffer from ptsd and call battle fatigue at the time . we have the army non com who serve in the pacific and and suffer through the horror of that campaign . his story be opposite that of the air force fellow in that he go from a prestigious job a a banker to a lowly grunt in the army and rise to the rank of sergeant . from the stripe on his sleeve it be clear that he be the high level of sergeant and yet he be still on the front line . finally we have the navy seaman and who be part of the faceless support staff and commonly refer to a remfs ( rear echelon mfers ) by the fellow on the line . ironically and he suffer the bad physical wound when work a a mechanic below deck on a navy ship and his ship be strike and presumably by a kamikaze and be sink with loss of 400 life . he be pull from the water but his badly burn hand be amputate and replace with prosthetic hook . byool tell the story of how these three meet on a transport plane they have board for home and and how they readjust into civilian society . what impress me most about this film be that despite the obvious issue that face the three protagonist and it never descend into melodrama . the navy kid and play by an actual amputee and be place into situation where we might feel sorry for him and yet the script never let u feel that emotion . the army sergeant be clearly an alcoholic and and the story point that out and but never dwells on it . the air force captain struggle with the loss of status when he be force to return to the drug store he soda jerk in ( now buy out by a large chain ) and take a demean job to support his ungrateful and disloyal wife . the script allow plenty of opportunity for all these character to come to some dramatic climax regard their plight and but it neatly avoid that . but for the overly dramatic score and the director have tread around exploit the obvious . in one scene that well represent the entire movie and the daughter of the army sergeant ( frederic march ) be have a discussion with her father and mother regard the air force captain . despite his marriage and they have fall in love and and she be determine to break up the marriage which be obviously troubled . now we have see thousand of scene typical of this where the father bluster angrily and the daughter end up run away to her room in tear and slam the door and fall on the bed . later and mom show up and console daughter and offer word of motherly wisdom and and everybody live happily ever after . in byool and this scene play out completely differently than the cliché i have describe above . sure the conversation get heat and but all party be reasonable and and there be a serious and timeless discussion of the nature of relationship that have some of the best dialog i have see . ultimately and byool be a highly satisfying film and with honest performance from the entire cast . technically and it be well shot and the editing and cinematography frame and but never overshadow the gripping narrative . despite the score and which be cliché and over dramatic and i give this film the high rating that it clearly deserve .