An ambitious anti-war movie that combines politics, romance, nationalism, and morality, The Young Lions was a distinctive entry in the post-World War II re-examination of Hitler's legacy. Released in 1958, it was one of the few important movies from that era that questioned conventional attitudes about the war. Adapted from Irwin Shaw's best-selling novel, the would-be-epic was daring enough to disturb censors. In his first attempt at a German accent, Marlon Brando continued his image-smashing roles by portraying a disillusioned Nazi officer. In his first dramatic role, comedian Dean Martin also confounded expectations. Montgomery Clift played an American Jewish soldier who fights anti-Semitism on all fronts. The rambling plot includes romantic entanglements for all the principals, but it manages to maintain a challenging edge. Unsettling and brooding, the drama was directed by Edward Dmytryk from a screenplay by Edward Anhalt.