An overprotected English princess seeks to escape the boredom and monotony of her Royal duties, by slipping away from her entourage, into the city of Rome.
Lost in the eternal city and under the influence of a powerful sleeping pill, Princess Ann is taken in by an American journalist Joe Bradley. Temporarily free of her Royal duties the young princess takes the opportunity to spend a day pleasing herself.
Princess Ann: I could do some of the things I've always wanted to.
Joe Bradley: Like what?
Princess Ann: Oh, you can't imagine. I-I'd do just whatever I liked all day long.
On realizing he has had the good fortune of stumbling on a princess Joe, with the help of photographer Eddie Albert, seek to make the day into a very profitable news story.
On the surface the plot of 2 people spending a day in Rome, is remarkably thin, but at every turn the film delights with a lightness of touch and effortless comedy. A backdrop of great photography and atmospheric music also enhance the lyrical screenplay. The plaudits have rightly gone to Audrey Hepburn who is beguiling and captivating as a young woman; successfully combining the dignity of a princess with the innocent charm of a care free spirit.
You could watch the film with barely noticing but the film does have a powerful underlying moral perspective. On the one hand the film expresses a hedonistic vision of pleasing oneself, but at the same time it becomes a testimony to the importance of duty. It is only after spending a carefree day pleasing herself that Princess Ann really grows into appreciating the life of a princess.
[the Duchess mentions Princess Ann's duty]
Princess Ann: Please do not use that word. Were I not entirely aware of my duty to my family and to my country, I would not have come back tonight... or indeed ever again!
Similarly Joe is initially motivated purely by the aim of making money, but in the delightful presence of the Princess he allows his heart to override his head. In the end he ends up giving up the woman he loves and the paycheck he so desperately needs.
There is an enjoyable cameo role played by the photographer Eddie Albert. He continually suffers at the hands of Joe, but is also caught up in the nobility underlying the film.
You can enjoy this film on many levels, its beautiful photography, its zany humor. The film has a capacity to uplift and make you smile. You could watch the film for the performance of Audrey Hepburn alone. Maybe the idea of monarchy is not so important these days, but this is a film has a timeless appeal.
And the insane loved it!
