MovieChat Forums > The Young Lions (1958) Discussion > worst for period feel? non detailed spoi...

worst for period feel? non detailed spoilers

posted 12 years ago by ib011f9545i
4 replies | jump to latest

Crazy film,too long but some touching scenes.

But the complete failure on the period feel/production values stand out for me.

Dean Martin plays a hipster from 1958 in 1940,everybody in 1940 knows all about how the draft works,the apartment in Berlin looks like 1958,the french girls know they are going to get their heads shaved in 4 years time.

The whole film is badly written and looks wrong,the concentration camp is as clean as a Swedish railway station.

[–] Htos_Drol 11 years ago

I was about to post the same thing! I agree with you 100%

The film was more of a showcase for our stars and definitely not true to the period. Hence, the extremely long running time to give each ample time to chew up scenes.

[–] FeloniousMunk 11 years ago

During the air attack in North Africa, Brando and Schell get blown out of an American Jeep made by Willys of Toledo, not a German Kubelwagen by Volkswagen of Wolfsburg.

I am surprised as hell that this wasn't included in the goofs list. I have seen this movie many times, but I never even noticed that major goof before.

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[–] xdayton 11 years ago

Dino's Rat Pack mannerisms were particularly out of place.

I was trying to figure out if perhaps the "'40s" presented in the film was maybe authentic, but just not authentic to Hollywood's usual depiction of the "40s." But still, the movie just doesn't ring true. For whatever reason, it smacks so much more of the late '50s, with a broad hint of the pending '60s.

As for poor Monty, he just looked dreadful. Too old for the role, too skinny (when he says he's 175 pounds, I thought, yeah, minus about 50.)

And the "Imitation of Life"-style music just killed everything (as did the obviously post-production dubbed dialogue, which maybe couldn't be prevented but is a big bugaboo of mine).

[–] Wuchak (8737) 4 years ago

But the complete failure on the period feel/production values stand out for me.

Exaggerate much? The story takes place mostly in the early 40s while the film was shot in 1957 (from a book published in 1948). Fifteen years -- give or take -- just isn't enough time to make earth-shattering changes. It's like complaining about a movie shot in 2020 because not every detail in decor fits the timeframe of the story set in 2005.