The Young Lions

film by Dmytryk [1958]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Article History

The Young Lions, American war film, released in 1958, that examines how World War II affects the lives of three disparate young soldiers.

One of the movie’s central characters is Christian Diestl (played by Marlon Brando), an idealistic young German who willingly joins the military because of his belief in Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. The film traces the gradual development of his skepticism about and then outright rejection of Nazism, though he reluctantly continues to serve as a lieutenant in the German army. Diestl’s story intertwines with those of two American soldiers: Noah Ackerman (Montgomery Clift), a Jew who has to fight bigotry in and out of the service, and Michael Whiteacre (Dean Martin), a popular Broadway star who, after being drafted, initially uses his fame to dodge dangerous assignments. The movie blends the experiences of the young men, including their tumultuous relationships with the women they love.

The Young Lions was adapted from Irwin Shaw’s 1948 novel of the same name. Brando and Martin impressed critics with their performances. Clift’s role as the oppressed soldier is similar to his part as Robert E. Lee Prewitt in From Here to Eternity (1953). Notable supporting performances were turned in by May Britt, Maximilian Schell, and Lee Van Cleef.