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Jun 25, 2016pjnorth rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This movie stands out from other films of the era concerning WWII, in that it isn't a "happily ever after" view through rose-colored glasses. The three servicemen at the center of the movie all have issues re-entering their civilian lives. The performances of all the cast were memorable, and the bonus is Hoagy Carmichael playing the piano. I have read a number of comments from others that Harold Russell lost his hands in combat. Not so. He was handling a grenade with a faulty fuse during training, when it exploded. His performance was excellent, on a par with the professional actors around him. I first saw this movie in the 1980s, and wondered how I had missed it prior to then. Having grown up on WWII movies, my own experiences returning from Vietnam were unlike those portrayed in other movies of the 40s and 50s. This film was a revelation to me.