Die Männer

This 1950 film had a triple threat in bringing it to the screen. There was Stanley Kramer producing, Carl Foreman writing and Fred Zinneman directing. Mr. Zinneman also distinguished himself as a director with the likes of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, THE SEARCH, MAN FOR ALL SEASONS and THE NUN'S STORY. The film is also under the title of BATTLE STRIPE.

It marked the introduction of Marlon Brando to the movie goers fresh from his Broadway success as Stanley Kolowski in STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, which he also brought to film. And what a debut this dynamic actor made in the world of film and acting. It was the time of James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Brando.

Brando plays a war veteran, paralyzed in combat, facing the torturous ordeal of rehabilitation as a paraplegic. He is thorough and totally convincing in the role. Playing his fiance and eventually his wife is the lovely Theresa Wright, in another heartwarming performance that is expected of her. She works well with Brando, which, I'm sure, was no easy task.

In supporting roles, outstanding were Jack Webb and Richard Erdman as fellow veterans. Webb was excellent and far from his DRAGNET persona. I also liked Everett Sloan as the doctor who had to deal with watching "the men" face the reality of the world as it was. Arthur Jurado plays a young veteran that works hard to bring himself back to normalacy, whatever that is. There were 45 Men of Birmingham Veteran's Hospital playing themselves.

An excellent picture of it's time. And Brando's film legend beginning. A time when he was in top form with such films as STREETCAR, VIVA ZAPATA and THE WILD ONE that soon followed.

"The Men" probably seemed very daring at the time of its release, and indeed Brando's performance and some of the supporting ones have lasted well and hardly dated at all. The film gives some idea of the horrific aftermath of war and its effects on the 'heroes' it disfigures. Teresa Wright plays Brando's girlfriend with some sensitivity and Everett Sloane gives a good performance as the doctor. Of the other actors playing paraplegics, Jack Webb deserves a mention. This is an interesting film which raises a lot of issues not previously faced that much on screen.

This little-known film surprised me with the depth of its emotional involvement with its characters. Conflict, pain, tragedy, suffering, doubt, and triumph are all present in generous and convincing doses, as we witness the travails of wartime paraplegics. Marlon Brando is excellent in a very auspicious beginning to his film career. We are really drawn into Ken and Ellen's tortuously conflicted relationship. Jack Webb is also very good here, which surprised me in light of his storied woodenness as Joe Friday (I guess that was just part of his characterization of the detective). Another round of kudos to American Movie Classics for bringing us this gem.

I saw this movie when I was 12 in England. After years of glorious positive movies about WW2 this was quite an eyeopener for me. I thought it was going to be a war combat picture. That ended real fast when Squad-leader Brando gets hit. You see Brando leading his infantry squad through devastated country side of war-torn Europe. Brando moves around the corner of a dilapidated farm house when suddenly a machine gun hits him and down he goes. The story then begins with the wounded soldier joining other bitter vets in a VA hospital. I was very impressed with this story. A great portrayal of what ordinary people who become war heroes have to live through when their minds and bodies are shattered. One scene that stands out in my mind is the one where Jack Webb quotes from Shakespeare's "perchance to dream" speech.

Marlon Brando's screen debut is a strong one and the film is very hard hitting for 1950's cinema. But the real pleasure is watching Jack Webb, especially in his scenes with Brando. Webb was a much better actor than he is given credit for, (he's in several good movies of the period and is consistently good), before allowing himself to be typecast as the no-nonsense Sgt. Friday. I love watching films from early in actor's careers before their careers took different paths. It's fun seeing "Joe Friday" interact with Hollywood's bad boy. The TV guy more than holds his own.