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329:question:329--week_11_questions_comments-2020 [2020/11/05 05:04] – [I.How does this movie work as a secondary source? What does the movie get right about history?] 67.172.219.156329:question:329--week_11_questions_comments-2020 [2020/11/05 14:08] (current) – [I.How does this movie work as a secondary source? What does the movie get right about history?] 72.43.62.101
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 I think that this works really well as a secondary source. It does a good job of showing some of the things that the veterans would have gone through coming back from the war, from PTSD and job hunting, to getting to know their families again. Homers character was also a good look into what a soldier coming back with a disability would have gone through with his anxiety of coming home, seeing his family and girlfriend and having them see him, getting married, and going through everyday life. The added mention of certain public opinions was also true to the time, such as views on the war and the veterans, the concern about a depression, and the concern about veterans taking jobs, were all common concerns among the public. Overall this movie would make a good secondary source to talk about the climate of the post World War pre Cold War time and environment that the soldiers returned to. --Kimberly Sak  I think that this works really well as a secondary source. It does a good job of showing some of the things that the veterans would have gone through coming back from the war, from PTSD and job hunting, to getting to know their families again. Homers character was also a good look into what a soldier coming back with a disability would have gone through with his anxiety of coming home, seeing his family and girlfriend and having them see him, getting married, and going through everyday life. The added mention of certain public opinions was also true to the time, such as views on the war and the veterans, the concern about a depression, and the concern about veterans taking jobs, were all common concerns among the public. Overall this movie would make a good secondary source to talk about the climate of the post World War pre Cold War time and environment that the soldiers returned to. --Kimberly Sak 
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 +This movie serves as an accurate secondary source almost automatically because it was filmed at essentially the same time period that it portrays.  However, the film did still take steps to portray the story accurately.  One way they did this was by having the actors get their own clothes for their roles.  This way, the film seemed much more real and natural.  There would be more authenticity to the film if the actors wore their own clothes instead of some type of costume.  Also, because veterans both acted in and filmed the movie, there was even more authenticity due to the fact that at each level the film was made in, the characters being portrayed were either written by or acted by veterans in some capacity. -Daniel Walker
  
 //The Best Years of Our Lives// does a great job at portraying the life of veterans and post-war issues. I really like that the film doesn't make the men seem like absurd, fanatical people, rather they portray them as every day men who suffered after the war. The fear that Homer feels after considering what Wilma will say about his hands is a real thing that people felt after the war. The emotional trauma is a very real effect of veterans, past and present. I think that this film is a great secondary source that shows the trauma and struggles of veterans, like getting a job and meeting women. --Tara Scroggins //The Best Years of Our Lives// does a great job at portraying the life of veterans and post-war issues. I really like that the film doesn't make the men seem like absurd, fanatical people, rather they portray them as every day men who suffered after the war. The fear that Homer feels after considering what Wilma will say about his hands is a real thing that people felt after the war. The emotional trauma is a very real effect of veterans, past and present. I think that this film is a great secondary source that shows the trauma and struggles of veterans, like getting a job and meeting women. --Tara Scroggins
  
-The Best Days of our Lives is an interesting movie as a source, I feel like it could almost work as a primary source about post war anxieties.  Al, Fred and Homer offer three lenses of the returning soldier as Al is the most financially stable yet morally torn character, Fred is the disillusioned veteran confronting PTSD, and Homer is the physically disabled young fiancé.  There’s a lot to dissect with in these three as we see that despite their very different circumstances they are equally lost in post war society.  Al is a financial study as he is seen trying to get better loans and benefits for returning veterans.  Fred represents the working class fear of jobs being taken by returning veterans and Homer represents the new way of life for many disabled veterans.  Both Fred and Homer, and at times Al, have an internal struggle that parallels their reintroduction to society.  -Janis Shurtleff+The Best Days of our Lives is an interesting movie as a source, **I feel like it could almost work as a primary source about post war anxieties.**  Al, Fred and Homer offer three lenses of the returning soldier as Al is the most financially stable yet morally torn character, Fred is the disillusioned veteran confronting PTSD, and Homer is the physically disabled young fiancé.  There’s a lot to dissect with in these three as we see that despite their very different circumstances they are equally lost in post war society.  Al is a financial study as he is seen trying to get better loans and benefits for returning veterans.  Fred represents the working class fear of jobs being taken by returning veterans and Homer represents the new way of life for many disabled veterans.  Both Fred and Homer, and at times Al, have an internal struggle that parallels their reintroduction to society.  -Janis Shurtleff
  
 I believe// The Best Years of Our Lives// does a fairly good job as a secondary source of what life was like for veterans post-WWII. It is not an overly optimistic view of life post-war, which is something I appreciated. It tried to be realistic in many ways. Life for veterans post-war wasn't all sunshine and daisies. Fred Derry, Homer Parrish, and Al Stephenson each face their own problems. Fred comes home to find his wife has moved on without so  much as writing a "Dear John" letter to him. Fred also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, having nightmares from his time as a bombardier. Moreover his place of employment changed hands and, much life was cover in the lecture, didn't guarantee him his job back. Homer lost his hands while in the navy and now uses hooks in his everyday life. I initially scoffed at this in the movie, but they use it on-screen very well to portray how war effected disabled veterans in their civilian lives. It effected both Homer and his family, who all suddenly are consciously about their own hands now that Homer doesn't have his. This obviously frustrates Homer, who doesn't want to be viewed as an invalid. Al comes home to find his family are not the same as he left them. His wife works, his daughter cooks and cleans, and his son tries discussing the ramifications of and nuclear power and the similarities between American and Japanese cultures. Alcoholism is a topic covered in the movie, as a means of coping. However, the excess to which Al and Fred use it extends from the idea of their tough transition into civilian life once again. They each face problems associated with the workforce, and don't necessarily find happiness. The movie is like a slap to the face compared to other happy ending stories we've seen, which is refreshing in a way. While is does end on a nauseatingly happy note, //The Best Years of Our Lives// does do a good job portraying the struggles faced by veterans. For that reason I think it is a good secondary source, despite it having a few issues as well. -- Lyndsey Clark I believe// The Best Years of Our Lives// does a fairly good job as a secondary source of what life was like for veterans post-WWII. It is not an overly optimistic view of life post-war, which is something I appreciated. It tried to be realistic in many ways. Life for veterans post-war wasn't all sunshine and daisies. Fred Derry, Homer Parrish, and Al Stephenson each face their own problems. Fred comes home to find his wife has moved on without so  much as writing a "Dear John" letter to him. Fred also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, having nightmares from his time as a bombardier. Moreover his place of employment changed hands and, much life was cover in the lecture, didn't guarantee him his job back. Homer lost his hands while in the navy and now uses hooks in his everyday life. I initially scoffed at this in the movie, but they use it on-screen very well to portray how war effected disabled veterans in their civilian lives. It effected both Homer and his family, who all suddenly are consciously about their own hands now that Homer doesn't have his. This obviously frustrates Homer, who doesn't want to be viewed as an invalid. Al comes home to find his family are not the same as he left them. His wife works, his daughter cooks and cleans, and his son tries discussing the ramifications of and nuclear power and the similarities between American and Japanese cultures. Alcoholism is a topic covered in the movie, as a means of coping. However, the excess to which Al and Fred use it extends from the idea of their tough transition into civilian life once again. They each face problems associated with the workforce, and don't necessarily find happiness. The movie is like a slap to the face compared to other happy ending stories we've seen, which is refreshing in a way. While is does end on a nauseatingly happy note, //The Best Years of Our Lives// does do a good job portraying the struggles faced by veterans. For that reason I think it is a good secondary source, despite it having a few issues as well. -- Lyndsey Clark
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 I think the film did a decent job for what they were trying to portray. From the very beginning you got the feeling that it was strange and hard for those men returning home. It is as if the culture that we have today in terms of respecting the troops and thanking them for their service hadn't fully developed yet. This was apparent in one of the opening scenes as Fred was trying to get a plane ticket and the pompous rich man steps in front of him and gets his tickets that he reserved. At the same time one example of admiration for the troops that they did show in this movie was Fred's wife making him wear his uniform to show him off. Essentially she was just using him at that point. Another important thing the movie displayed properly was the reaction of civilians towards the veterans looking for jobs. When Fred went back to the store you could tell the Floor Manager didn't exactly want him back. Another thing I was fairly surprised by was that was Homer was actually played by a World War II veteran in Harold Russell. His story was particularly interesting because you certainly felt sorry for him as he didn't face the best reaction from family members. Overall this film is a decent starting point for someone looking into researching what post WWII America was like for those returning home. - Dan Dilks I think the film did a decent job for what they were trying to portray. From the very beginning you got the feeling that it was strange and hard for those men returning home. It is as if the culture that we have today in terms of respecting the troops and thanking them for their service hadn't fully developed yet. This was apparent in one of the opening scenes as Fred was trying to get a plane ticket and the pompous rich man steps in front of him and gets his tickets that he reserved. At the same time one example of admiration for the troops that they did show in this movie was Fred's wife making him wear his uniform to show him off. Essentially she was just using him at that point. Another important thing the movie displayed properly was the reaction of civilians towards the veterans looking for jobs. When Fred went back to the store you could tell the Floor Manager didn't exactly want him back. Another thing I was fairly surprised by was that was Homer was actually played by a World War II veteran in Harold Russell. His story was particularly interesting because you certainly felt sorry for him as he didn't face the best reaction from family members. Overall this film is a decent starting point for someone looking into researching what post WWII America was like for those returning home. - Dan Dilks
  
-Based on the lecture videos The Best Years of Our Lives is a great secondary source for the period after WWII. Even though the three men, Fred, Al, and Homer, were fictional characters the stories and backgrounds were accurate to the time period. Al represented the older generation that fought in WWII who returned home to a wife and older kids. I think the portrayal of him struggling to fit in with his family again is accurately portrayed. For Fred, his character represents the younger generation who rushed into marriage before leaving for war. Since he and his wife didn’t know each other well before the war there marriage fell apart. This made him fit in with the half-million soldiers who got divorced after returning home from the war. Additionally, Fred represents the soldiers that struggled to adjust when returning home because his character suffered from what we know as PTSD or what they would have considered “shell shock.” Finally, Homer’s character represents the young disabled veteran who returned home to a family and a “sweetheart.” His character was realistic because the actor who played him was an injured WWII veteran.+Based on the lecture videos The Best Years of Our Lives is a great secondary source for the period after WWII. **Even though the three men, Fred, Al, and Homer, were fictional characters the stories and backgrounds were accurate to the time period**. Al represented the older generation that fought in WWII who returned home to a wife and older kids. I think the portrayal of him struggling to fit in with his family again is accurately portrayed. For Fred, his character represents the younger generation who rushed into marriage before leaving for war. Since he and his wife didn’t know each other well before the war there marriage fell apart. This made him fit in with the half-million soldiers who got divorced after returning home from the war. Additionally, Fred represents the soldiers that struggled to adjust when returning home because his character suffered from what we know as PTSD or what they would have considered “shell shock.” Finally, Homer’s character represents the young disabled veteran who returned home to a family and a “sweetheart.” His character was realistic because the actor who played him was an injured WWII veteran.
  
 Another reason this film works as a secondary source is that it shows women adjusting to life after WWII. For example, Al’s wife Milly and daughter represent women who went to work while their husband/father was away. Now that Al is back they can kind of return to a normal life. Another film that represents working women is Fred’s wife Marie. -Megan Williams Another reason this film works as a secondary source is that it shows women adjusting to life after WWII. For example, Al’s wife Milly and daughter represent women who went to work while their husband/father was away. Now that Al is back they can kind of return to a normal life. Another film that represents working women is Fred’s wife Marie. -Megan Williams
  
-//The Best Years of Our Lives// works fairly well as a secondary source. I feel like there are a ton of movies made about World War Two, as well as other war-related films, but very rarely are films made depicting what happens after the war, when everyone goes home. Three different Veteran perspective, each coming from different economic backgrounds, the film shows how difficult it was to reenter the workforce after World War Two. Especially Fred, who had to go back to his rather low paying job as a soda jerk, which he had before the war. Al’s drunk speech at the banquet also feels indicative of the time, as after the war it seemed like America had no idea what to do with all these servicemen who were dealing with severe cases of PTSD. --Cat Kinde+//The Best Years of Our Lives// works fairly well as a secondary source. I feel like there are a ton of movies made about World War Two, as well as other war-related films, but very rarely are films made depicting what happens after the war, when everyone goes home. Three different Veteran perspective, each coming from different economic backgrounds, the film shows how difficult it was to reenter the workforce after World War Two. Especially Fred, who had to go back to his rather low paying job as a soda jerk, which he had before the war. **Al’s drunk speech at the banquet also feels indicative of the time**, as after the war it seemed like America had no idea what to do with all these servicemen who were dealing with severe cases of PTSD. --Cat Kinde
  
 I think this film could be considered a good secondary source. I think that the filmmakers did a good job of portraying the post-war struggles and challenges that people faced. I think that for a movie created in the 1940s, it did a good job of showing things like PTSD; unemployment struggles; and how hard it was for soldiers to re-acclimate to society. I also think the film did a good job of showing the physical trauma and changes that soldiers experienced, and how they had to learn to do things all over again. I appreciate that it did not brush over those struggles. I also think that it showed the post-war consumerism and economic increase that people experienced as well. I think that it does a fairly good job of showing many of the different changes and experiences that men and women faced after the war; and I think that is why it would be a good secondary source. -Mariah Morton I think this film could be considered a good secondary source. I think that the filmmakers did a good job of portraying the post-war struggles and challenges that people faced. I think that for a movie created in the 1940s, it did a good job of showing things like PTSD; unemployment struggles; and how hard it was for soldiers to re-acclimate to society. I also think the film did a good job of showing the physical trauma and changes that soldiers experienced, and how they had to learn to do things all over again. I appreciate that it did not brush over those struggles. I also think that it showed the post-war consumerism and economic increase that people experienced as well. I think that it does a fairly good job of showing many of the different changes and experiences that men and women faced after the war; and I think that is why it would be a good secondary source. -Mariah Morton
  
 +This film was a surprisingly decent depiction of postwar attitudes after WWII highlighting many of the problems and struggles faced by veterans returning home. **The production of the film itself's proximity to the war and being contemporary to the time it represents lends credit to its ability to portray some of the major fears and conflicts of the time such as the fear of another postwar depression, fear of the effect of soldiers entering the workforce, and concern over the growing nuclear threat and rising tensions with the Soviets.** I like that the film is clear not to cookie-cutter all soldiers into one group but rather portrays the experience of several different veterans throughout the film and their postwar experience, even addressing the experience of those disabled in the war through Homer. They showed some of the PTSD faced by returning soldiers through Fred, and also the increase in divorce rates after the war. I was overall very impressed with the film and think it can serve as a good look into a veteran's and their family's experience in post-WWII America.  - Ashley Dimino
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 +**I think an interesting discussion to have could center around weather or not this film really can even be considered a secondary source.** Its written when it was made, and while some of it is an outside interpretation of other people's experiences, it still gives their perspective on their own time. Thus, I would argue that it cannot be considered a secondary source at all. **Since it is interpreting it's own time, the film by it's very nature is just one type of primary source, not a secondary one**. -Ethan
 ====== II. Problems with historical accuracy? Errors in fact? ====== ====== II. Problems with historical accuracy? Errors in fact? ======
  
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 As the film is built around crafted characters in a fictional drama, the events presented should be looked at by the norms of the period, probability of the events, and what the film chooses to show and what it has chosen to ignore. In the opening scenes of the film during which we meet the main characters we will follow the film showcases a rundown crowded building filled with service men who lack the historical racial diversity that would have been present. Furthermore, despite the drastic social changes present within society the film ignores the festering resentment and greater depths of troubles endured by the veterans. The film would seem to have a far too optimistic look at the issues as the three characters by the end have secured their positions and adjusted to society without too much issue or further turbulence other than a slight dip into the pain. The suffering and troubles of the veterans is quickly solved or faded away as the adeptly return to civilian life with positions greater than when they left. -Robert Keitz As the film is built around crafted characters in a fictional drama, the events presented should be looked at by the norms of the period, probability of the events, and what the film chooses to show and what it has chosen to ignore. In the opening scenes of the film during which we meet the main characters we will follow the film showcases a rundown crowded building filled with service men who lack the historical racial diversity that would have been present. Furthermore, despite the drastic social changes present within society the film ignores the festering resentment and greater depths of troubles endured by the veterans. The film would seem to have a far too optimistic look at the issues as the three characters by the end have secured their positions and adjusted to society without too much issue or further turbulence other than a slight dip into the pain. The suffering and troubles of the veterans is quickly solved or faded away as the adeptly return to civilian life with positions greater than when they left. -Robert Keitz
  
-I felt as though the film underrepresented a large portion of veterans, in the lecture it was discussed that there were many Black, Native American, and Japanese veterans. I also felt like the women in the movie were a little misrepresented, as WWII was a "total war" and didn't just involve the efforts of White men. --Helen Dhue  +I felt as though **the film underrepresented a large portion of veterans, in the lecture it was discussed that there were many Black, Native American, and Japanese veterans. I also felt like the women in the movie were a little misrepresented, as WWII was a "total war" and didn't just involve the efforts of White men**. --Helen Dhue  
  
 Like Helen's post above...An error that film had was the fact that they didn’t incorporate an African American WWII veteran’s perspective. In fact, there was probably only one African American character in this entire film. I feel like that's a major error when looking at this film as a secondary source. -Megan Williams  Like Helen's post above...An error that film had was the fact that they didn’t incorporate an African American WWII veteran’s perspective. In fact, there was probably only one African American character in this entire film. I feel like that's a major error when looking at this film as a secondary source. -Megan Williams 
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 ====== III. How does the film’s overall interpretation(s) deviate from scholarly historical sources? ====== ====== III. How does the film’s overall interpretation(s) deviate from scholarly historical sources? ======
  
-As both discussed in class and in this Library of Congress timeline, American life after World War II put many people in new, unique situations. Many Americans were predicting a return of an economic state similar to that of the Great Depression because men were returning home flooding the job market and the end of the wartime economy which meant less of a demand for production, therefore, eliminating some manufacturing jobs. However, the wartime manufacturing boom allowed families to grow and actually be really successful in the long term, which is not something that is really displayed in this movie. Fred gets a job at the end of the movie that he was struggling to find and hold and Al returns to the job he once had, but as alluded to at the beginning of the movie that family used to have a maid and they don’t anymore show how they dropped in socioeconomic status during the war. This movie does not directly touch on the economic prosperity seen following the war however this is likely because it was made so close to the event itself it doesn’t have the opportunity to have a more accurate perspective. +As both discussed in class and in this Library of Congress timeline, American life after World War II put many people in new, unique situations. Many Americans were predicting a return of an economic state similar to that of the Great Depression because men were returning home flooding the job market and the end of the wartime economy which meant less of a demand for production, therefore, eliminating some manufacturing jobs. However, the wartime manufacturing boom allowed families to grow and actually be really successful in the long term, which is not something that is really displayed in this movie. Fred gets a job at the end of the movie that he was struggling to find and hold and Al returns to the job he once had, but as alluded to at the beginning of the movie that family used to have a maid and they don’t anymore show how they dropped in socioeconomic status during the war. **This movie does not directly touch on the economic prosperity seen following the war however this is likely because it was made so close to the event itself it doesn’t have the opportunity to have a more accurate perspective.** 
  
 https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/post-war-united-states-1945-1968/overview/-Morgan Gilbert  https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/post-war-united-states-1945-1968/overview/-Morgan Gilbert 
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 ====== IV. How does this movie work as a primary source about the time period in which it was made or the filmmakers? ====== ====== IV. How does this movie work as a primary source about the time period in which it was made or the filmmakers? ======
  
-This film probably works better as a primary source than any other film we've watched this semester. The fact that it was released a year after V-J day and V-E day says a lot in regard to being a primary source. There was a lot of uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war, and there were fears of the economy reverting back to how it was in the thirties, and the film does a good job in portraying that. + 
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 +By casting Harold Russel as Homer, the filmmakers, I think, created a historical source of their own. Russel was an actual vet who actually lost both of his hands. He actually used hooks like those in the film for the rest of his life. Thus, Russel's performance - especially, since he was not a professional actor - is his own unique, contemporary expression of the struggles of disabled veterans. -Ethan 
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 +This film probably works better as a primary source than any other film we've watched this semester. The fact that it was released a year after V-J day and V-E day says a lot in regard to being a primary source. **There was a lot of uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war, and there were fears of the economy reverting back to how it was in the thirties, and the film does a good job in portraying that.** 
  
 The film also serves to bring director William Wyler into the spotlight. It makes sense that a film about World War II veterans was directed by someone like Wyler, who served as a major in the United States Army Air Forces and directed war films and documentaries like //Mrs. Miniver// and //The Memphis Belle//. -- Jordan Petty  The film also serves to bring director William Wyler into the spotlight. It makes sense that a film about World War II veterans was directed by someone like Wyler, who served as a major in the United States Army Air Forces and directed war films and documentaries like //Mrs. Miniver// and //The Memphis Belle//. -- Jordan Petty 
  
-I think the casting and directing choices, paired with the accuracy of the content and the timing of the release makes this a considerable primary source. The director and the actors made this movie a great source because of their familiarity with the topic, between the experiences of the veterans coming home, which some of the actors and director were, and the fears of a new economic depression, America really was going through the things that were portrayed in the movie as the movie was being made and released. I also think it is important to mention the absence of African American characters, except for the one assistant in the first few minutes, something not uncommon in the 40s. Overall the movie does a great job of showing the tension and uncertainty that America was feeling in the mid to late 1940s, making it a great primary and secondary source because it was made and released in the midst of the tension and uncertainty. --Kimberly Sak +I will play the devil’s advocate; Marie was representative of the confrontation of returning soldiers and working women and not as bad as the movie projected her to be.  Marie was immediately cast in a bad light with our introduction to her being that Fred could not find her because she was working in a nightclub…all night.  This conveniently allows for Peggy and Fred to meet and with a little movie magic, fall in love.  Of all the women in the movie, Marie is truly the only “bad apple”.  She is not seen taking care of her husband (Al & Milly) nor is she seen caring for or accepting her husband’s PTSD (Homer and Wilma).  Marie is money hungry and unfaithful, which could parallel the affairs of military wives and fears of lack of jobs.  It is very easy to write Marie off (she is incredibly one dimensional) but she is a working woman and she initiates the divorce because she is not happy and wants more from life.  Of all of the women I would say Marie is the most progressive as by the 1960s the façade of a nuclear family, that of which Fred describes dreaming of, would collapse and the rise of working, divorced women continued.  -Janis Shurtleff 
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 +I think the casting and directing choices, paired with the accuracy of the content and the timing of the release makes this a considerable primary source. **The director and the actors made this movie a great source because of their familiarity with the topic, between the experiences of the veterans coming home, which some of the actors and director were, and the fears of a new economic depression,** America really was going through the things that were portrayed in the movie as the movie was being made and released. I also think it is important to mention the absence of African American characters, **except for the one assistant in the first few minutes, something not uncommon in the 40s**. **Overall the movie does a great job of showing the tension and uncertainty that America was feeling in the mid to late 1940s, making it a great primary and secondary source because it was made and released in the midst of the tension and uncertainty**. --Kimberly Sak 
  
 The movie The Best Years of Our Lives could absolutely be used as a primary source regarding post-war America that servicemen faced. This movie focused on three main characters, from all different military war backgrounds and followed them through the struggles of returning to peacetime at home. As well as the fears and stressors that the American people were also experiencing with the return of the military members. I think this movie could be viewed as a primary source as this movie reflects the same time period that was happening around the movie's release date. -Kaylee Williams  The movie The Best Years of Our Lives could absolutely be used as a primary source regarding post-war America that servicemen faced. This movie focused on three main characters, from all different military war backgrounds and followed them through the struggles of returning to peacetime at home. As well as the fears and stressors that the American people were also experiencing with the return of the military members. I think this movie could be viewed as a primary source as this movie reflects the same time period that was happening around the movie's release date. -Kaylee Williams 
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 +The film shows the fear that many Americans had going forward after the end of the war.  Al Stephenson, the banker, shows the conflict that would have come with giving loans to veterans.  His boss and colleagues demonstrate apprehension about giving loans to people simply on the basis of their being veterans.  Also, each of the three veterans has difficulties readjusting to civilian life.  Al Stephenson seems like he is a very different man than he used to be and has a hard time rebuilding his relationship with his family in some ways.  Fred Derry cannot get a good job despite advancing in rank when in the military.  Homer has to deal with a physical disability and how people treat him at home.  Each of these characters' portrayals shows how people viewed veterans at the time the movie was filmed. -Daniel Walker 
  
 Overall, I think that //The Best Years of Our Lives// portrayed the time period of World War II veterans coming back to civilian life in a pretty accurate way. The period when veterans were coming back home and getting settled into their civilian life was definitely struggling at times for them just as the characters portrayed in the movie. With the fears of an economic depression, they were trying to find jobs that they were able to do such as Al going back to his banking job and Fred not wanting to go back to being a soda jerk but he didn't really have any other options. This is definitely parallel to the post-war period because when veterans came back and were looking for jobs, the majority of them were either already filled or they refused to go back to their previous job. The movie does a great job of portraying the uncertainty and tension that America was going through in the mid to late 1940s. This is due to the movie being made during this uncertain time in the 1940s as the primary source. -Lauren Simpson     Overall, I think that //The Best Years of Our Lives// portrayed the time period of World War II veterans coming back to civilian life in a pretty accurate way. The period when veterans were coming back home and getting settled into their civilian life was definitely struggling at times for them just as the characters portrayed in the movie. With the fears of an economic depression, they were trying to find jobs that they were able to do such as Al going back to his banking job and Fred not wanting to go back to being a soda jerk but he didn't really have any other options. This is definitely parallel to the post-war period because when veterans came back and were looking for jobs, the majority of them were either already filled or they refused to go back to their previous job. The movie does a great job of portraying the uncertainty and tension that America was going through in the mid to late 1940s. This is due to the movie being made during this uncertain time in the 1940s as the primary source. -Lauren Simpson    
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 This film works as an excellent source for the time period. Filming started around seven months after World War Two ended, so it is literally being filmed about the time period as it was happening. The Director, William Wyler, spoke to several combat veterans about their experiences to attempt to recreate an authentic film. The Best Years of Our Lives was wildly successful. It made $10.4 million at the box office and won nine Academy Awards. Ultimately, the film reflects the American experience after World War Two. Of different groups of people struggling in the aftermath, and ultimately coming out the other side happier than ever. That was the dream of every white American after World War Two, so it’s no wonder it was so successful. -- Cat Kinde (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Years_of_Our_Lives) This film works as an excellent source for the time period. Filming started around seven months after World War Two ended, so it is literally being filmed about the time period as it was happening. The Director, William Wyler, spoke to several combat veterans about their experiences to attempt to recreate an authentic film. The Best Years of Our Lives was wildly successful. It made $10.4 million at the box office and won nine Academy Awards. Ultimately, the film reflects the American experience after World War Two. Of different groups of people struggling in the aftermath, and ultimately coming out the other side happier than ever. That was the dream of every white American after World War Two, so it’s no wonder it was so successful. -- Cat Kinde (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Years_of_Our_Lives)
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 +I think this film is a good primary source for the time period and the filmmaker since it was a movie made during the time period it's about. It pretty accurately reflects the struggles of veterans returning to society and their relationship dynamics with the citizens who never left. Furthermore, it captures the worries and sentiments during the time period regarding war veterans. The portrayal of these dynamics can be attributed to Wyler's own experience as a war veteran. The actor who played Homer was not a professional actor but a veteran with a real disability and this added credibility to his acting and his portrayal of the struggles of disabled veterans. Furthermore, Wyler believed in realism and changed much of the plot from the original script to make it more realistic and plausible. While I do think that the movie is definitely much more romantic and the ending is a lot sweeter than reality, the movie is a good reflection of Wyler's experiences and perspective.  -Purnaja Podduturi
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 ====== V. The "So, what?" question ====== ====== V. The "So, what?" question ======
  
-What really makes this film stand out is the fact that it focuses on something that occurred just over a year after it was released. This film that focuses on veterans returning home from World War II was released in 1946, with the war ending in 1945. It's portrayal of the uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war was fairly accurate and the timing of its release almost makes the film simultaneously a primary and secondary source on the topic. The fact that it was directed by someone who served as a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces and also had a World War II veteran as part of its cast lends to the film's authenticity. While it does dramatize it's subject, it still offers a decent portrayal of American social life after the war. +What really makes this film stand out is the fact that it focuses on something that occurred just over a year after it was released. This film that focuses on veterans returning home from World War II was released in 1946, with the war ending in 1945. It's portrayal of the uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war was fairly accurate and **the timing of its release almost makes the film simultaneously a primary and secondary source on the topic.** The fact that it was directed by someone who served as a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces and also had a World War II veteran as part of its cast lends to the film's authenticity. While it does dramatize it's subject, it still offers a decent portrayal of American social life after the war. 
  
 Going further on the casting choice of Harold Russell as Homer Parrish, it should be important to point out that although he was not a professional actor, he was still nominated for an Oscar and won an Academy Honorary Award. Going further on the casting choice of Harold Russell as Homer Parrish, it should be important to point out that although he was not a professional actor, he was still nominated for an Oscar and won an Academy Honorary Award.
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 Bergan, Ronald. “Obituary: Harold Russell,” February 6, 2002. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/feb/06/guardianobituaries.  -- Jordan Petty  Bergan, Ronald. “Obituary: Harold Russell,” February 6, 2002. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/feb/06/guardianobituaries.  -- Jordan Petty 
  
-I think that this movie is important because of its release date and its accurate portrayal of life in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Between the significance of the casting and directing done for this movie, it is an important movie in the narrative of 1940s movies while the content of the movie and its accuracy makes this an important part of the narrative of movies about WWII and post WWII era. Even though certain things could be considered dramatized in the movie, it definitely encourages the audience to feel for the characters and does not exaggerate some of the things that the returning veterans must have been feeling coming back from the war making this important in understanding the social construction of post WWII life. --Kimberly Sak  +I think that this movie is important because of its release date and its accurate portrayal of life in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Between the significance of the casting and directing done for this movie, **it is an important movie in the narrative of 1940s movies while the content of the movie and its accuracy makes this an important part of the narrative of movies about WWII and post WWII era**. Even though certain things could be considered dramatized in the movie, it definitely encourages the audience to feel for the characters and does not exaggerate some of the things that the returning veterans must have been feeling coming back from the war making this important in understanding the social construction of post WWII life. --Kimberly Sak   
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 +I found a very early scene to be interesting when Al’s son asks his father about the effects of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima.  John Hersey’s 1946 Hiroshima article that described the horror of nuclear bombs contradicted the government’s denial of radiation and nuclear consequences, yet to many Americans radiation was still Japanese propaganda.  I found it to be an interesting statement because it almost challenged the dropping of the bombs and when Al presents his son with Japanese “souvenirs” he makes a statement about Japanese culture.  As a Japanese American I know that this was not how many Americans felt right after WWII.  **By the end of the readings it is clear that many of these veterans would have been insulted by these statements, especially those who lost limbs or a comrade’s life.**  -Janis Shurtleff 
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 +For the purpose of this class, one of the reasons why it stands out from the other movies is because it was filmed during the same period that it is portraying.  As a result, this film gives us a glimpse as to what life was like during that period in a way that no other film so far has.  Now that we are decades past the World War II period, people can watch a movie like this and see how people dressed, how they talked, what cars looked like, and witness many other aspects of life at this period.  Because we are far enough along in American history in this course, there are now movies like this one where they are essentially both primary and secondary sources.  This is a reason why movies can be very important as a medium of history.  They can provide direct glimpses into history. -Daniel Walker 
  
 The story being told here relies on some level of historical accuracy to be believable, however the history feels secondary to the actual story the film is trying to portray. The story it tells is timeless, veterans struggling to adjust after war is a problem we always face, and the story presented here could also be told from a modern perspective. Ultimately, so what if there are a few minute details the director didn't get right, or if these mens' stories are anecdotal rather than what happened to most men at the time? the film is still incredibly well made and does not claim to be a film about history nor is its job to educate people, the film is still heartwarming, entertaining, relatable and enjoyable. And, the film isn't blatantly inaccurate, it does its job of being realistic well enough, and for a story like this I believe that is good enough. ---AJ DeGeorge The story being told here relies on some level of historical accuracy to be believable, however the history feels secondary to the actual story the film is trying to portray. The story it tells is timeless, veterans struggling to adjust after war is a problem we always face, and the story presented here could also be told from a modern perspective. Ultimately, so what if there are a few minute details the director didn't get right, or if these mens' stories are anecdotal rather than what happened to most men at the time? the film is still incredibly well made and does not claim to be a film about history nor is its job to educate people, the film is still heartwarming, entertaining, relatable and enjoyable. And, the film isn't blatantly inaccurate, it does its job of being realistic well enough, and for a story like this I believe that is good enough. ---AJ DeGeorge
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 I think this movie is important because it shows a side of post WWII America that we aren't usually shown. You see the long lasting effects of the war on these men and just how hard it was for them to assimilate back into civilian life. Fred has PTSD and trouble finding a job. Homer was now handicap and looking to keeps his girl and adjust to his new life. Al was even confused at first if he was really even home that morning he woke up from drinking. I think this quote from our primary source by a disgruntled veteran said it best, "the widespread feeling that the war had produced good for the United States, with good defined as peoples abilities to buy new cars and refrigerator's". People seem to forget what was really is, no matter the out come there was death and there were atrocities. - Dan Dilks I think this movie is important because it shows a side of post WWII America that we aren't usually shown. You see the long lasting effects of the war on these men and just how hard it was for them to assimilate back into civilian life. Fred has PTSD and trouble finding a job. Homer was now handicap and looking to keeps his girl and adjust to his new life. Al was even confused at first if he was really even home that morning he woke up from drinking. I think this quote from our primary source by a disgruntled veteran said it best, "the widespread feeling that the war had produced good for the United States, with good defined as peoples abilities to buy new cars and refrigerator's". People seem to forget what was really is, no matter the out come there was death and there were atrocities. - Dan Dilks
  
-I think that this movie is a good example of how life may have looked for many families in the post-war period. I think that it is one that can show the true feelings and emotions of the characters because they had just truly experienced the war. It was not as if they were looking back many years later and trying to imagine how the characters might have felt. I think that because it was created in the same period it was portraying, it contains a certain level of accuracy and reality, that would not have been able to be displayed otherwise. I think that it showed the issues that soldiers faced to a broader audience, which might have helped both soldiers and civilians in understanding each other. -Mariah Morton+I think that this movie is a good example of how life may have looked for many families in the post-war period. **I think that it is one that can show the true feelings and emotions of the characters because they had just truly experienced the war. It was not as if they were looking back many years later and trying to imagine how the characters might have felt. I think that because it was created in the same period it was portraying, it contains a certain level of accuracy and reality, that would not have been able to be displayed otherwise.** I think that it showed the issues that soldiers faced to a broader audience, which might have helped both soldiers and civilians in understanding each other. -Mariah Morton 
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 +This film stands out pretty well compared to what I know about other films made around this time period. It takes a step in the right direction at moving away from the pro-war propaganda that the vast majority of Americans had primarily seen during the war and focuses on how rough the experience coming back could be. It doesn't sandwich all veterans into one character and instead shows a variety of experiences, traumas, and responses to returning to civilian life like Al's alcoholism, Fred's nightmares, and Homer's experience as a double-amputee. It also addresses other important consequences of the war such as providing insight into the increase in divorce rate and some of the situations that could lead to that rather than the portrayal of every soldier coming home to a happy wife or girlfriend. Additionally, the film addresses the difficulty of some people who had excelled in war and risen in the ranks but came back home to have to return to something like working at a soda fountain like Fred did because they didn't have work experience or vocational training that wasn't war-related. //The Best Years of Our Lives// definitely could have gone further in portraying the experience of African American and female veterans both groups which were virtually non-existent in the film at all despite serving in large numbers in the war. The romance of the film also detracts a bit from its message, though I think it's important that they leave Fred's PTSD and Al's alcoholism unresolved, rather than giving the film a "happy ending" that assumes things got better. This film is overall a good representation of the time period, provided it is also acknowledged that it is a very white-washed portrayal.    - Ashley Dimino
  
  
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