Three soldiers have their outlook on life drastically altered during the Second World War.
An idealistic German lieutenant begins to question his faith in Nazi ideology, an American singer does his best to dodge the draft, and a Jewish recruit encounters prejudice from his own side.
The action leapfrogs from Paris to America and from North Africa to Bavaria, taking nearly three hours to unravel.
But, while the script is turgid and Edward Dmytryk’s direction often slows to a crawl, the picture is an absolute corker for three reasons: Marlon Brando as straw-blonde nice guy Christian Diestl who becomes a Nazi and ends up a martyr; Montgomery Clift as Jewish GI Noah Ackerman; and Dean Martin as cowardly Broadway star Michael Whiteacre, who is Clift’s fellow draftee.
They fight over women (Hope Lange, May Britt), over principles, and overact only some of the time, as they stumble towards a climax where stark irony rules the day.
Adapted by Edward Anhalt from the doorstop novel by Irwin Shaw, The Young Lions oozes self-importance in every scene.
Lt. Christian Diestl
Marlon Brando Noah Ackerman
Montgomery Clift Michael Whiteacre
Dean Martin Hope Plowman
Hope Lange Margaret Freemantle
Barbara Rush Gretchen Hardenberg
May Britt Capt. Hardenberg
Maximilian Schell Simone
Dora Doll First Sergeant Rickett
Lee Van Cleef Françoise
Liliane Montevecchi Sgt. Brandt
Parley Baer Lt. Green
Arthur Franz Pvt. Burnecker
Hal Baylor Pvt. Crowley
Richard Gardner Capt. Colclough
Herbert Rudley
Director
Edward Dmytryk
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