(1953)
5
Rebecca Flint Marx
With Audrey Hepburn at her most appealing, Gregory Peck at his most charismatic, and Rome at its most photogenic, Roman Holiday remains one of the most popular romances that has ever skipped across the screen. Aside from being an enormously enjoyable romp, the film is most notable for two reasons. The first is Hepburn, featured here in her first starring role in a Hollywood film. Her performance won her an Academy Award and established her as an actress whose waifish, delicate beauty presented a viable alternative to the amply proportioned bombshells of the day. With her wide-eyed but cultivated portrayal of Princess Anne, Hepburn kicked off a trend defined by the Audrey Hepburn "look"--simple, sophisticated, and streamlined. The second reason for the film's importance is its location. Whereas modern-day filmmakers may think nothing of jetting off to remote and exotic locales, in 1953 the idea of traveling beyond a Hollywood soundstage was fairly novel. Director William Wyler's use of Rome is one of the best examples of how a location can become a leading character in a film: without the city's twisted alleyways, bustling crowds, and hulking ruins, Roman Holiday would have had the visual impact of a museum diorama. The effect of using the actual city in the film was eye-popping: audiences saw not just a romance between the two lead characters but a love affair between the camera and the city. In this respect, Roman Holiday goes beyond its status as one of the screen's most enduring romances to become one of history's most thumbed-through travel brochures.
awards for Roman Holiday on AllMovie
Roman Holiday (1953)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|
Won |
Best Actress
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Black and White Art Direction
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Black and White Cinematography
|
1953 |
|
Won |
Best Black and White Costume Design
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Director
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Editing
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Screenplay
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Story
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor
|
1953 |
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
|
Won |
Best British Actress
|
1953 |
|
Nominated |
Best British Film
|
1953 |
Directors Guild of America
|
Nominated |
Best Director
|
1953 |
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
|
Won |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
|
1953 |
Library of Congress
|
Won |
U.S. National Film Registry
|
1999 |
National Board of Review
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
|
1953 |
New York Film Critics Circle
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