The winner of seven Oscars, including Best Picture. To this date, one of the top ten UK box office champs in terms of tickets sold.

The Best Years of Our Lives was an era-defining phenomenon in 1946 but in recent years has become somewhat underseen by new audiences and certainly underscreened in cinemas. After a two-year hiatus, we’re delighted to return to The Prince Charles Cinema with an all too rare 35mm screening of William Wyler’s masterpiece.

Made shortly after the end of World War II, The Best Years of Our Lives follows three American servicemen as they return home from overseas and attempt to re-integrate into the new normal of a changed society, while struggling with the physical and psychological trauma of war.

Drawing on his own WWII experiences and pursuing authenticity in every area of the production (including the groundbreaking casting of disabled veteran Harold Russell in a key role), Wyler created an unusually rich, nuanced and unsentimental view of contemporary American life, tapping into the nation’s uncertainty as it moved into the postwar era.

Distinguished by Citizen Kane cinematographer Gregg Toland’s astonishing deep-focus compositions and moving performances from an impeccable ensemble cast, The Best Years of Our Lives was instantly hailed as a masterpiece upon its release in 1946, and it still stands as a singular Hollywood epic – a peerless fusion of classical studio filmmaking and clear-eyed social realism.

Join us on November 21st to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Best Years of Our Lives for a 35mm Sunday matinee you’ll never forget.

Tickets are available via the Prince Charles Cinema website here: https://bit.ly/3FYKQUR