I think William Wyler's 'The Best Years of Our Lives' (1946) is the best film about the war & the generation who fought it. You could watch that today and it’s all about who we are right now. I think that’s an incredible motion picture. Tom Hanks | History of Cinema

On this day 79 years ago The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), directed by William Wyler, swept the Academy Awards. At the 19th Academy Awards ceremony, Wyler’s postwar drama won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, becoming a defining statement of Hollywood’s response to World War II. | History of Cinema

At 172 minutes, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES ('46) was almost twice the length of the average picture of its era. Samuel Goldwyn considered cutting it, but when he screened it with William Wyler it was so tight that he couldn't find anything to cut. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM