The Men

1950
Directed By Fred Zinnemann

SYNOPSIS

After a World War II soldier (Marlon Brando) is shot and paralyzed, he must face an even greater battle... conquering his depression in a VA hospital, allowing his pre-war fiancee (Teresa Wright) to see him again, and trying to bring some normalcy to his life.

MY THOUGHTS

Brando shines in his screen debut.

The film boldly tackles the difficulties faced by returning soldiers. Issues are dealt with head-on like acceptance by loved ones and a society that sees them as different and 'less of a man' and soldier's own difficulties dealing with the same issues internally. This was a problem of thousands of veterans returning from the war, yet rarely seen on screen. Surprising for a 1950 film, it even references bladder and bowel problems that these injured soldiers face. This stark approach brought the film more realism than most films of the era.


Marlon Brando's agonized character brought even more realism and helped to bring the growing Method acting revolution to greater heights on the big screen. Brando, along with his fellow injured friends (played by Richard Erdman and Jack Webb,) seemed very authentic as paralyzed soldiers. (just try and look for any leg assistance when they try and sit up) Webb is just about the complete opposite of his Dragnet persona, very real and human. Several real paralyzed war vets play the soldiers in the background.

Teresa Wright (better known as Mrs. Lou Gehrig in Pride of The Yankees and the heroine of Hitchcock's Shadow Of a Doubt) gives a solid performance, but her old-school acting style seems out-of-date in comparison to Brando's Method acting. He's clearly the one to watch. Regardless, they have great chemistry and the clash of old-school and new-school acting somehow works.

The film's stark black and white photography keep your eyes clearly focused on the actors, rather than the surroundings, where they should be.