Type: Romantic
Film: Roman Holiday
Featured Characters: Princess Ann and Joe Bradley
When I think about the fictional relationships that have shaped the kind of writer I am and the types of stories I appreciate most, the first couple that comes to mind is Roman Holiday’s Princess Ann and Joe Bradley, played by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, respectively. I remember the first time I watched the movie, and I remember how it not only made me appreciate filmmaking but it made me understand love on a whole new level.
The idea of two people falling for each other quickly isn’t easy to believe. Relationships need time and dedication to nurture, grow, and evolve. However, it’s more than possible for a single person and our experiences with them to completely change us and our outlook on life. That’s what Roman Holiday is in a nutshell—it’s a story about finding oneself and understanding self-worth through another’s gaze. It’s about realizing that love is supposed to equate to freedom and commitment to someone requires an indescribable form of trust at the forefront.
Princess Ann and Joe Bradley’s Love Story Centers on the Idea of Taking Chances
Roman Holiday is a classic for a reason, and a stranger’s kindness, along with their decision not to pass judgment, is what makes it such a comforting story. When Joe finds Princess Ann sleeping on the street, completely knocked out from all the sedatives, he takes her home until she’s coherent enough to make a decision. In the real world, this isn’t the type of romance that’d work in this day and age, but for the sake of the story, it’s easy to understand. He doesn’t want to be in this situation any more than she does.
Still, when her identity comes to light and her desire to live outside the palace’s command rushes to the forefront, the narrative kicks into motion, and we see his kindness shine in full force. It’s through her wide-eyed gaze at the world that the jaded journalist starts to understand the meaning of life again and every good thing he clearly forgot.
The way that Roman Holiday highlights Joe’s growth as he watches Princess Ann embrace the little things and find the light again is one of the most wholesome details in the film. It’s where I’m convinced the plot points where one person looks at something beautiful, vocalizes it, and then the other party states, “they know” while staring at them comes from. (Even if it isn’t, let me have it.) Because really, that’s the subtle theme here—while she showcases all her amazement at small things, he sees the wonder in the discoveries she’s making. He learns how to live again.
Theirs is also a story of sacrifice and proper growth because Joe Bradley’s intentions are anything but admirable when he first learns her identity. While he doesn’t physically or emotionally harm her, using her experiences to potentially sell an exclusive interview is a vile reporter tactic, so when he begins to fall for her grace and kindness, it’s where his job and selfish desires evaporate. It becomes all about her and the freedom he can give her away from the palace grounds.
Princess Ann and Joe Bradley’s faithful meeting then becomes challenging to let go of, and we see it through one of the most painfully vulnerable goodbye kisses, where it’s unquestionably evident that they’re going to carry their time spent together wherever they go.
Rome, by All Means, Rome
The iconic words that I and so many others clung to from the moment we heard them can mean so much to many different viewers. But for Princess Ann and Joe Bradley, it’s her promise to him that she’s always going to hold their experiences close for the rest of her life. She knows she can’t leave her responsibilities behind because her people need her, and he’d never expect her to, but it doesn’t stop either of them from wishing.
That’s what the entirety of their adventures equate to at the end of the day. It’s fulfilling those desires to be their most authentic self as best they can with the one person in the world they know they could eventually love with every bone in their body. Sometimes, the unspoken words are the most powerful. Sometimes, statements like “Rome, by all means, Rome” to a room full of journalists can signal that their experiences mattered in a way that’s unlike anything else. It’s saying I love you without actually using those three words. Other members of the press might never put two and two together, but they’ll know. Joe Bradley will always know. Princess Ann will always know.
Someday, if the photographs of them ever get out, which we can ultimately presume they do—the rest of the world would know, too. They would understand that Rome is a special place because of the experiences she’s had and the man beside her who gave her the chance to truly live for a moment.
They might not fall in love right then and there, but there’s no denying they’re two people who could fall in love. There’s a kindness in both of them, beyond his jaded spirit that’s louder than anything else. There’s an understanding that grounds them to a place where they know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they can trust each other. They would be good together, and those final moments of soaking every minute in with one another is proof of the lasting effect they have on each other.
There are few movies in the world that are too perfect to ever remake: It’s a Wonderful Life and Roman Holiday. I like to believe that the reason no one’s ever touched these films is because the actors were too sensational ever to attempt another version. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are perfect in a way that can never be replicated. They convey every word and every emotion with such heart that perfect doesn’t even do their performances justice. What they bring to our screens is otherworldly—character embodiment that you can sit through and analyze for hours while you discover something new with every viewing.
That’s part of the reason I held off on this deep dive for as long as I did because every time I watch Roman Holiday, I notice something I didn’t before. It’s because they are such a defining couple that all the angst and longing still cannot be found anywhere else. Like when he says you should always wear my clothes, and you think about how in another life, they’d swap everything and be equals!? It floors me. It’s how he looks at her at every moment that screams a thousand words each time. The possibilities with them are endless, and maybe they’ll always be.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Paramount Plus