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The Young Lions

The Young Lions

War · Drama · Action · 1958

The lives of three young men, a German and two Americans, during WWII.

Movie details

The Young Lions

“Irwin Shaw's monumental best-seller”

1958 War · Drama · Action 2h 47m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

The lives of three young men, a German and two Americans, during WWII.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Young Lions?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Battleground

Battleground

Action · 1949

Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.

Memphis Belle

Memphis Belle

Drama · 1990

The "Memphis Belle" is a World War II bomber, piloted by a young crew on dangerous bombing raids into Europe. The crew only have to make one more bombing raid before they have finished their duty and can go home. In the briefing before their last flight, the crew discover that the target for the day is Bremen.

Fixed Bayonets!

Fixed Bayonets!

War · 1951

The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one, Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsibility.

Merrill's Marauders

Merrill's Marauders

War · 1962

Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill leads the 3,000 American volunteers of his 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), aka "Merrill's Marauders", behind Japanese lines across Burma to Myitkyina, pushing beyond their limits and fighting pitched battles at every strong-point.

Ice Cold in Alex

Ice Cold in Alex

War · 1958

A group of army personnel and nurses attempt a dangerous and arduous trek across the deserts of North Africa during the second world war. The leader of the team dreams of his ice cold beer when he reaches Alexandria.

Lucky Strike

Lucky Strike

Action · 2026

A wounded American soldier fights to survive behind enemy lines during WWII's Battle of the Bulge against the Germans, relying on his instinct, spy craft and a hand-radio to evade capture and find his way back to his unit.

Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog

Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog

Family · 2020

Follow the perilous journey to freedom when a young boy and his dog attempt to escape a concentration camp during World War II. Based on true events.

Taking Sides

Taking Sides

Drama · 2002

One of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Wilhelm Furtwangler's reputation rivaled that of Toscanini's. After the war, he was investigated as part of the Allies' de-Nazification programme. In the bombed-out Berlin of the immediate post-war period, the Allies slowly bring law and order to bear on an occupied Germany. An American major is given the Furtwangler file, and is told to find everything he can and to prosecute the man ruthlessly. Tough and hard-nosed, Major Steve Arnold sets out to investigate a world of which he knows nothing.

Hell Is for Heroes

Hell Is for Heroes

Drama · 1962

World War II drama where the action centers around a single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line when on their way to a rest area. While most of the men withdraw from their positions facing a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position. Then Reese leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack on the pillbox, in which the other two are killed; and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial. Rather that face the disgrace, and in an attempt to show he was right, he makes a one-man attack on the pillbox.

Uprising

Uprising

Drama · 2001

In the Warsaw ghetto in 1943, Jews rise against the Nazis.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Edward Dmytryk

Written by

Edward Anhalt

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Lt. Christian Diestl

Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift

Noah Ackerman

Dean Martin

Dean Martin

Michael Whiteacre

Hope Lange

Hope Lange

Hope Plowman

Barbara Rush

Barbara Rush

Margaret Freemantle

May Britt

May Britt

Gretchen Hardenberg

Maximilian Schell

Maximilian Schell

Capt. Hardenberg

Court is in session

Put The Young Lions on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.