The Young Lions

Released Apr 2, 1958

2 hr. 47 min.

Drama

List

71%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Audience Member

The film is way too long even though Clift and Schell had convincing performances, Brando's and Martin's performances are a bit annoying and unimpressive. Just sad they gave the same role Clift had 5 years before. The story is a bit flat but it's the war scenarios and the aftermath that make it interesting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

ashley h

The Young Lions is an excellent film. It is about the lives of three young men during WWII. Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift give amazing performances. The screenplay is well written. Edward Dmytryk did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama and action. The Young Lions is a must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not faltering in action, your attention is riveted to the screen. Most amazing is the acting skill of Marlon Brando. Here he creates another character - a Nazi soldier who is the protagonist throughout the film. The other actors are fine, but they play themselves... they don't seem to have the ability to create someone new, extrinsic to their own being. In contrast, Brando is a stand out. The film is not only entertaining, but effective at making war more horrifying and juvenile, with the humanizing elements of the individual cast members. This is a good film in its entirety, but Brando bowls you away with his almost perfect performance. He is so good that it takes a while into the film to recognize just who he is. He commits to his character and becomes one with him, holding it throughout the film. A classic, by all definitions.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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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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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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
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

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