blue ribbon banner and star and stripe forever and decorate general and and unconditional surrender from the enemy which require ton and ton of radiation and this be the summon substance of the united state victory in world war ii . the celebration on time square as well a everywhere else in the united state suggest a national zenith . america be on top right . one thing and one agonizing and painstakingly perverse thing . the period of adjustment . the actual celebration end when the bottle of champagne be finish . now everyone need to get on with their life . only one problem though . they have to get new life . the old life be go forever . polite and pleasant smile have a fragile facade with a longevity of ice cube in boil water . everyone of the character in the movie be parade by primal doubt and and unable to masquerade a pretense about how nothing be seriously wrong and for the simple reason that it be not true . once sergeant and and general and and their wife and and daughter and and son and virtually all other american touch by world war ii and be expose to disability and nightmare and recrimination of world war ii and what it really accomplish as well a negate and nobody be the same . for now and social and moral issue have a self serve interest . frederick march and myrna loy have to start over . dana andrew realize that he should never have be marry to virginia mayo in the first place . theresa wright have become painfully aware of the fact that she be constructively selfish . la but not least and the character and homer and be about to get married and he think that everyone around him be as devastate by his injury a he be and basically in the sense that they be unable or unwilling to cope . the reason this film be so fabulous be because a happy end be attain the hard way and once everybody recognize the new beginning of the new united state and the new world overall and tragedy from wwii be recognize and and thing that be emotionally torn asunder be take in stride and and deal with accordingly . frederick march and myrna loy need to go back to chapter one in their marriage and homer have apprise his new bride a to what it take to be marry to him ( i. e. half the time and she will feel like a nurse ) and thresa wright involvement with dana andrew mean that her entrance into adulthood have result in partial responsibility for break up a marriage . this be tantamount to learn how to drive a car to get your driver license at the indianapolis 500. the character in the movie be the typical post wwii american in that they be stalemate by the rude awakening of coercive change to their life . happiness no longer be afford the luxury of the adjective cop aesthetic . it be now about formidable condition and and good win out over evil by way of the less ugly choice . world war ii do not just happen . it will henceforth dominate the social pattern of american living . the aggregate catastrophe of world war ii have mirror most americans feeling of personal human inadequacy as well . i love this film and so do afi and probably for the reason that it bring out issue that be at one time unjustifiably taboo . bottom line and see this movie . nightmare about combat and dilemma about marital unhappiness and or or readjustment and cop with your life when stricken ed by a disability and just basically act human be portray constantly in movie and television today and however . this be 1946. very new to american then . remember that . director william wyler have illustrate how americans feel about the aftermath of wwii in the day when the movie industry have leave him with one hand tie behind his back . take that into account and you will probably realize just how sensational this movie really be .