It moves with leaden efficiency from one character to another, one country to another, a battle-canvas with no central point of focus.

These skillfully interwoven storylines result in a film of surprising depth that remains relevant today.

[UPDATED 2025 STREAMING REVIEW] As for Dino, he easily holds his own against Brando and Clift, the era’s most celebrated Method performers and among the cream of the Hollywood crop.

Despite major departures from Irwin Shaw's novel, Edward Dmytryk's film is an enjoyable, well executed WWII melodrama with top-notch turns from Marlon Brando as the sympathetic Nazi officer and Montgomery Clift as the shy Jewish-American soldier.