Audrey Hepburn: Five Films for Newcomers
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Twenty eight years ago, the world lost Audrey Hepburn. She was an unparalleled spirit in film; like the encapsulation of the Golden Age’s grace as Hollywood entered a new age. Still, she partook in some daring or interesting projects, which went against any notion that she was a safe actress. One day, I’d like to get more into her life’s story, because she certainly was a fascinating individual on and off the screen, before and after fame. For now, we’re focussing on her filmography which was short and sweet, whilst containing some of the greatest films I have personally ever seen. Here are five films for newcomers to the works of Audrey Hepburn. Spoiler alert: There is no Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Sorry, not sorry.
5. Roman Holiday
Audrey Hepburn’s first major on screen role was her sole Academy award win. Her excursions as Princess Ann in William Wyler’s Roman Holiday are some of the more wholesome moments one can have in film. Hepburn brings a large amount of joy, with small reminders that she is very aware of her position as a royal. It’s the kind of performance that just feels magical to watch, like you’re actually in the room with a legendary figure. It’s no wonder that her career took off seconds after the first screening of Roman Holiday concluded.
4. Sabrina
Hepburn would work with Billy Wilder multiple times, but their greatest success together is her role as Sabrina Fairchild in Sabrina. Hepburn embodies both phases of the titular character’s life: from depressed introvert, to the talk of the town (after her visit to Paris encourages her to mature). Hepburn also never loses sight that this is still the same person, and so Sabrina Fairchild has to be present in both of her iterations shown on screen. Hepburn succeeds; whether Sabrina is nervous or confident, she is always full of Hepburn’s token charm.
3. Wait Until Dark
The best performance Hepburn ever gave was as Susy Hendrix in Wait Until Dark. In short, Hendrix is a recently blinded housewife whose house is being infiltrated by criminals looking for smuggled drugs that she accidentally intercepted. I’ve always felt that Hepburn is a magnetic actress within her own signature style, but this performance is one of the times I feel like she truly is one of the greats. Unfortunately, this was the last major role she ever played, semi-retiring from acting immediately afterwards.
2. My Fair Lady
Similar to her role in Sabrina, Hepburn takes on two sides of one person’s transformation in the iconic musical My Fair Lady. Hepburn played Eliza Doolittle, from street flower girl (with the thickest accent you’ll hear all day) to an illusionary aristocrat that can blend in with the upper class (due to this experiment she is a part of). While we don’t get Hepburn’s singing voice (Marni Nixon supplies all of Doolittle’s sung lines, even though Hepburn has sung before, as can be seen in Funny Face), we still get another golden performance from her through and through.
1. Charade
Without question, my favourite Audrey Hepburn film ever is Charade. It is a perfect genre blender, but it’s also fantastic when you focus on Hepburn herself. As confused widow Regina Lampert, Hepburn accepts all challenges thrown her way to make this multi-natured film stay true to its indescribable roots. She is hilarious (comedy), lovely (romance), and mightily sympathetic when she is in danger (thriller, mystery, horror). It’s an acrobatic lesson that she pulls off effortlessly, and is a fantastic place to start if you have never seen an Audrey Hepburn film.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.