"The Young Lions" is a mostly satisfying film that tries to show how the war changes the lives of a German and two Americans. Saddly, by taking on both sides the film almost takes on too much, and the ending was completely unsatisfying for me. Yet the combat scenes are wonderfully shot - particularly one where the Germans ambush the Brits in North Africa, and the charachters are complex.
Brando is at his best as the underspoken Diestl, handsome (thin), caring, a Bavarian representing the old Germany - noble, strong, and filled with virtue. He is one side of Germany, moving from the noble, to the wary, to the tired, and finally to the outraged.
Maximilian Schell is fabulous as the representation of what Germany has stereotypically become - the follow-any-order officer, ready to shoot his men if they disobey. And his wife is the decadent, beautiful, companion to his ardent desire for power.
Montgomery Clift is almost as underspoken as Brando. His portrayal of the Jewish-American who is abused by American soldiers in the barracks is a fantastic foil to the Nazi treatment of the Jews, as depicted by a strange little SS officer at the film's end.
Dean Martin is harder to charchterize. He is the playboy, a coward doing all he can to avoid combat until he is forced to fight due to his inner guilt. He is the jewish soldier's best friend - an unlikely pairing. I think they tried a little too hard to make his charachter unlikeable.
But the central point is of a German soldier who learns to hate war and Americans who learn to do their duty, and ultimately it works, though I think the editor should have been shot for some of the choices of how the scenes flow, or do not.
The BEST scene, and forgive me, is when Brandon goes to meet Schell's wife in a bombed-out Germany. He is tall and strong, with a beautiful IAB. Then he meets her with a GAB on, and as he leaves the room it is an IAB again! It was just so funny I had to comment on it.
Besides this gaffe, it is well done. I know why it ended as it did, but it left me feeling empty after 3 hours of wondering how these men would come together.
Regards,
Marc
Brando is at his best as the underspoken Diestl, handsome (thin), caring, a Bavarian representing the old Germany - noble, strong, and filled with virtue. He is one side of Germany, moving from the noble, to the wary, to the tired, and finally to the outraged.
Maximilian Schell is fabulous as the representation of what Germany has stereotypically become - the follow-any-order officer, ready to shoot his men if they disobey. And his wife is the decadent, beautiful, companion to his ardent desire for power.
Montgomery Clift is almost as underspoken as Brando. His portrayal of the Jewish-American who is abused by American soldiers in the barracks is a fantastic foil to the Nazi treatment of the Jews, as depicted by a strange little SS officer at the film's end.
Dean Martin is harder to charchterize. He is the playboy, a coward doing all he can to avoid combat until he is forced to fight due to his inner guilt. He is the jewish soldier's best friend - an unlikely pairing. I think they tried a little too hard to make his charachter unlikeable.
But the central point is of a German soldier who learns to hate war and Americans who learn to do their duty, and ultimately it works, though I think the editor should have been shot for some of the choices of how the scenes flow, or do not.
The BEST scene, and forgive me, is when Brandon goes to meet Schell's wife in a bombed-out Germany. He is tall and strong, with a beautiful IAB. Then he meets her with a GAB on, and as he leaves the room it is an IAB again! It was just so funny I had to comment on it.
Besides this gaffe, it is well done. I know why it ended as it did, but it left me feeling empty after 3 hours of wondering how these men would come together.
Regards,
Marc
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