ROMAN HOLIDAY

Actresses that are capable of lighting up the screen are few and far between. Louise Brooks is one, Bardot another. But one that encapsulates feminine beauty and who makes any scene in which she appears her own is the wonderul Audrey Hepburn. A dancer and model born in Belgium, Hepburn rose to fame in a string of European films, before finding international stardom via this charming Hollywood debut.

In Roman Holiday, Hepburn plays Princess Anne, the youngest member of an unnamed European country's royal family. On a goodwill tour of Europe, her relentless schedules of official engagements become too much and she rebels, slipping out of the royal palace in Rome and finding alternative means of excitement. Naive and child-like, she runs into cynical reporter Joe Bradley (a youthful Gregory Peck) who - sensing a great story - kids on he doesn't recognise the princess. Together, the two spend a gleeful and fun-filled day in Rome, seeing the sights, visiting cafes and dancing until the inevitable happens and they begin to fall in love.

The performances - Hepburn's innocence and joie de vivre; Peck's cool cynicism, which later gives way to warmth and tenderness - make the film, elevating it above run-of-the-mill romantic comedy into something altogether more magical and poignant. The final scenes, where the two lovers realise that their relationship cannot last, are very touching. Both characters are changed for the better by the experience (the princess losing her spoilt child immaturity; Bradley gaining compassion and generosity), and during the final press conference, both euphemistically profess their love for the other in a marvellous heart-warming and bittersweet scene.

Filmed in Rome itself, and featuring several memorable Italian actors and actresses, Roman Holiday is shot and directed with a great degree of sharpness and style, with the action moving along at a cheerful and enjoyable pace. Ultimately, what makes the film so memorable however is seeing Audrey Hepburn in a role for which she seems perfect: that of a young and beautiful princess.

A memorable and enjoyable romantic classic. 9/10