Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

§ The Last hurrah!

WW II has ended and decorated Army Air Corps captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) is being ferried home in a gutted B-17. He's become a little man, now joined by two others: Al Stevenson (Frederic March) and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell). Through the window they see “people playing golf just as if nothing had ever happened” instead of “little black flowers that bloom in the sky.”

Boone City welcomes them back but doesn't quite know what to do with them (“Give 'em time, kid, they'll catch on.”) We see some mighty fine reunion scenes, the welcoming expressions on the women's faces going eventually through various shades of perplexity as they struggle to cope with men who are incomplete mentally, physically, maritally, or financially.

§ Little men

The strength of this movie can be summarized by (Prov. 30:24) “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:” four returning soldiers reduced now to little men but displaying extra­ordinary wisdom. First is Fred, (Prov. 30:25) “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” he's not strong on civilian work experience­—read: soda jerk­—but does what he needs to to find suit­able work (“It may take us years to get any­where. We'll have no money, no decent place to live. We'll have to work, get kicked around.”) He perseveres.

Next is another returnee who just appears, Novak asking at the bank—where Al is the loan officer­—for a loan so he can purchase a farm. H­e hasn't any collateral. Al justifies the risk: “You see, Mr. Milton, in the Army I've had to be with men when they were stripped of every­thing in the way of property except what they carried around with them and inside them. I saw them being tested. Now some of them stood up to it and some didn't. But you got so you could tell which ones you could count on. I tell you this man Novak is okay. His ‘collateral’ is in his hands, in his heart and his guts.” He doesn't bring the collateral into the deal except what he'll produce working the farm. He is like: (Prov. 30:26) “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” their security is in their destination, not from their starting point. Novak just suddenly appears and as suddenly disappears, giving the audience the same amount of time to assess him as had the loan officer.

Number three is Al himself, (Prov. 30:27) “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;” he didn't wait for a directive from on high to issue a risky loan (“You fought for our country and kept us safe­—that's good enough for me. Your loan is approved!”) but used his own initiative and later in a dinner speech used a “little story that has considerable significance” to influence the whole bank's policy through his wisdom.

And fourth is Homer. (Prov. 30:28) “The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.” His "hands" are prosthetics but he can use them in amazing ways and finally must put the ring on the finger of his child­hood sweet­heart. “They couldn't train him to put his arms around his girl, or to stroke her hair,” but she's there for the taking (“I was in love with you when you left and I'm in love with you now. Other things may have changed but that hasn't.”) The spider also taking hold with her hands can end up occupying fantastic places, “kings' palaces.” Great wisdom in putting those hands to use.

§ Production values

Director William Wyler did his usual great job with this movie. The cinematography went real well, and the swinging music at the night clubs added just the right touch of rhythm. I don't mean to stereo­type women as emotional creatures, but their well acted faces sure portrayed what was happening during this period of re-acclimation to civilian life. One minor fault­—which our teacher/director pointed out­—is the scene where Al and his wife forbid their daughter Peggy to take up with married man Fred. In her distress she flings herself face­down on the bed. The camera should have been allowed to continue shooting her face. Other than that, it looked perfect.

We see pictures in the back­ground hung on the wall or carried in hand (or torn in two) depicting people as they'd been before the men went off to war. The pictures hadn't changed but the people had.

§ Conclusion

This award-worthy movie deservedly won several of them. Having three—or four—parallel stories mitigated its 172 minute length. It was great cinema and served the useful function of showing society how to reintegrate its returning heroes. If you care at all about history, you should see it.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12