The Young Lions

Released Apr 2, 1958

2h 47m

Drama

List

71%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Three soldiers endure the crucible of World War II. Christian Diestl (Marlon Brando) is a ski instructor turned Nazi lieutenant whose initial enthusiasm for Hitler is vanishing, Noah Ackerman (Montgomery Clift) is a Jewish-American grunt who fights to overcome prejudice in his own unit, and Michael Whiteacre (Dean Martin) is a Broadway crooner who uses his connections to avoid combat, only to later feel guilty about it. Near the end of the war, all three cross paths at a concentration camp.

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Penelope Houston

Sight & Sound

It moves with leaden efficiency from one character to another, one country to another, a battle-canvas with no central point of focus.

Mar 30, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

What's most impressive about Dean Martin's turn is that while his co-stars are Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, the era's most celebrated Method performers and among the cream of the Hollywood crop, he easily holds his own against this esteemed pair.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 4, 2015

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Despite major departures from Irwin Shaw's novel, Edward Dmytryk's film is an enjoyable, well executed WWII melodrama with top-notch turns from Marlon Brando as the sympathetic Nazi officer and Montgomery Clift as the shy Jewish-American soldier.

Rated: B+

Nov 28, 2008

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

All three stars shine and give this film a luster despite periodic breakdowns in the way the episodic story was told.

Rated: B

Jul 13, 2004

Full Review

Pablo Villaça

Cinema em Cena

Belssimo filme sobre a segunda guerra, mostrando ponto de vistas de soldados de ambos os lados do front. Brando, obviamente, assume o papel de alemo - e sua humanidade faz contraponto aos horrores que testemunha.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 25, 2003

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Oct 30, 2002

Full Review

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David C

Definitely worth watching for Brando and Clift. Martin was okay, he was cast in the right role for him. Unfortunately, his acting abilities just not in the same league as Brando and Clift. They bring all kinds of subtleties that you can see and feel but would be difficult to put into words. That's artistry. Martin was just "behaving" not really acting. Clift and Brando add to the lines thoughts and feelings we can see in their faces and movements. That's what put them in a special category: genius. Great combat scenes especially Brando and Schell who were comparable talents. Good direction. Long but few scenes you would want to cut. Good storytelling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/20/24

Full Review

Alan g

Dean Martins comeback role. He is better than Clift or Brando. Why did they need a happy ending? The book has a much more distressing ending. It would have made an even better film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/09/24

Full Review

Rosana B

Um ótimo filme de guerra, com pouca ação, os grandes acontecimentos da guerra, tornam-se apenas diálogos na boca dos personagens, o que não tira o mérito do filme, um belo roteiro, baseado num livro estupendo (provavelmente) principalmente pelo alemão não ser um personagem simpático, ''não havendo nenhuma diferença moral perceptível entre um alemão e dois americanos" Marlon Brando, se não fosse tão repugnante (por O último tango) teria sido um eterno galã… Um bom filme, poderiam colorizá-lo.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/24

Full Review

Steve D

Ok war film not quite as good as its cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/24

Full Review

Ernie K

Although it occasionally drags within its episodic framework, the stellar acting of Brando, Clift, and Martin carries the day with a memorable nexus of story lines and characters at the film's conclusion. This film may not be the most memorable of Brando's or Clift's careers, but it tells a great story through several socially important threads and is worthwhile entertainment to boot. All the leads and supporting efforts are very good, with a surprisingly believable turn by Martin that keeps quality pace with his more famous co-stars.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Watch only because of Brando and Clift! The movie completely distorted the meaning of the book!!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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Edward Dmytryk

Director

Marlon Brando

Lt. Christian Diestl

Montgomery Clift

Noah Ackerman

Dean Martin

Michael Whiteacre

Hope Lange

Hope Plowman

Barbara Rush

Margaret Freemantle

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Synopsis

Three soldiers endure the crucible of World War II. Christian Diestl (Marlon Brando) is a ski instructor turned Nazi lieutenant whose initial enthusiasm for Hitler is vanishing, Noah Ackerman (Montgomery Clift) is a Jewish-American grunt who fights to overcome prejudice in his own unit, and Michael Whiteacre (Dean Martin) is a Broadway crooner who uses his connections to avoid combat, only to later feel guilty about it. Near the end of the war, all three cross paths at a concentration camp.

Director: Edward Dmytryk
Producer: Al Lichtman
Screenwriter: Edward Anhalt
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 2, 1958, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2016
Runtime: 2h 47m

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