Review of The Young Lions (1958) by Anna M — 07 Mar 2009

The Young Lions is based on the novel by Irwan Shaw and stars Marlon Brando as a very convincing German Officer. I refuse to use the word Nazi because the film concentrates on the personal, emotional, financial well being of the German people pre and post WW2.

Directed by Edward Dymytyk deliberately in black and white at a time when cinema goers expected glorious techicolour, convincingly transports the viewer into war time. The film places pertinent questions in our own minds about our own racial and political beliefs and challenges our own society, culture and traditions.

It highlights old conflicts, wars, mistrust and patriotic pride which can leand to disasterous nationalism. The character of Brando, his Germanic background, his passions and aspirations are compared to Dean Martin and the sad, serious tragic charcter of Montgomery Clift.

Clift the long suffering ordinary American Jew highlights the bigotry and racial intolerance of America of that time and exposes the hyprocracy and similiarity between the Naziz and the country of liberty and freedom.

Until Martin the good all round American guy (White Anglo Saxon and Protestant, no doubt) uses his theatrical connections to inform on the racist phyisical bullying Clift endures. We are reminded of the "clout" Hollywood held at that period in history, The Thalbergs and Goldmeyers could and would influence the Whitehouse.

The film steared away from the civil rights movement and failed to show black regiments and white regiments. Incidentally Clift was accepted by the good puritan Christian girl and her middle class father because he was a good man.

Just like the rest of us. A little flat at times in America but passions, feelings and emotions displayed in the raw through the German characters. It is fair to say the American characters seemed unreal and glamourised, in sterotypical form.

The woman ballsy and indepedent, intellectual, well adjusted thinkers and good lookers, equal to their male counter parts. Down to cigarette smokes and American uniforms doing their bit for America. The German women protrayed as objects of lust, to be used for the good of the German high ranking officers at the permission of ambitious husbands.

It was implied that the American girls also had influence but in a morally guiding manner. The bubble is burst at the end of the film and the great ideals are split open for the good German officer Brando as he realises the Reich was nothing but a vision.

Excellent movie with a wonderful music score. Watch and enjoy Clift and Brando at their best." -.