tieman64 More curiosity piece than good cinema, Fred Zinnemann's "The Men" stars Marlon Brando in his film debut. Brando plays Lieutenant Wilozek, a WW2 veteran who returns to the United States paralysed. Taking place largely in Army medical facilities, the film watches with grim fascination as wounded soldiers and paralysed men struggle to cope with their debilitations. Some men crawl slowly back to some semblance of physical and psychological health, others seem lost, trapped in broken shells of flesh.While Brando is riveting and some of the film's moments are appropriately sensitive, the film mostly reeks of producer Stanley Kramer. Kramer specialised in heavy handed "message movies" which pretend to say the right thing but do something else. In "The Men's" case we have a syrupy soap opera about the tolls of war, the suffering of paraplegics, the self-loathing and shame engendered by armed conflicts, that suddenly shifts from becoming a glorified public awareness video to a story about the healing power of both love and never-give-up military medics. By the film's end, it becomes "Brando's responsibility to heal". Progress can't be made unless he "stops being a bad boy".Fred Zinnemann, a sometimes excellent director, elevates some moments, hits us with a somewhat dark ending and goes in some territory which was deemed shocking back in the 1950s (Brando's sexual impotency), but much of the film is overly talkative. Blame Kramer.6.9/10 – Worth one viewing.

secondtake The Men (1950)Well, you do have to see a movie like this partly to see Marlon Brando before his stellar rise to fame (ultra-fame) in "On the Waterfront" (1954) and "Streetcar Named Desire" (the next year, 1951). This is his first role, and he's already the famous, complex, simultaneously macho and tender Brando. He plays Ken, and he is bedridden because he can't walk.Around him are a host of actors, amateur and professional, who are all unable to walk, probably permanently, from war injuries. This is a story of adjusting to being in a wheelchair, getting others to accept you like this, and ultimately getting to accept it yourself. It's an emotional more than a physical battle, and a powerful one.The doctor in charge is in some ways the main character, or the most present, throughout, and he's strong if somewhat uncomplicated in his portrayal of a devoted, tireless medical worker. He's played by Everett Sloan, who has just come off a bizarre but terrific role as a rich lawyer with difficulty walking in "Lady from Shanghai" (a Welles movie--and Welles gave Sloan his entrance into Hollywood in "Citizen Kane").The woman who is both lovingly sympathetic and also scared in her uncertainty as Ken's girlfriend and wife. She's kind of perfect, turning into that somewhat disconnected 1950s housewife before our eyes (influenced surely by her officious if kindly parents, a kind of 1930s Republican do good but also look out for yourself first attitude). It's a perfect fit, set up by the screenwriter and worked by with surprising believability by the young director, Fred Zinnemann ("From Here to Eternity") with Stanley Kramer producing. These two men were among the most socially conscious in a post-war Hollywood that had many directors trying to make a difference in their films (Kazan and Lumet would be two others). And "The Men" is certainly about showing a problem with realism and optimism at the same time. It's a kind of parallel to the film noir films which made dramatic fictions out of many returning servicemen. This was closer to the reality for many.Is it a great film? For some small reasons, no, as much as Brando is convincing in his role. For one thing, it's just too clear what the motivation of the director and producer is, so the movie movies forward without clear dramatic tension (even though you don't quite know the outcome). For another, the acting is generally very good without being wrenching (and the subject is frankly wrenching). It feels a little like we're being given a lesson, a good lesson, but still a bit like schoolwork made vivid on the screen. This will be apparently right from the first scene where a room full of wives and girlfriends ask questions (frank and important questions) of the doctor, who wisely and frankly answers them.Good stuff, great stuff, and as a film experience, incomplete stuff.

ma-cortes This magnificent film begins with a written prologue as : ¨In all wars , since the beginning of history , there have been men who fought twice . The first time they battled with club , sword or machine gun . The second time they had none of these weapons. Yes , this by far was the greatest battle. It was fought with abiding faith and raw courage and in the end victory was achieved . This is the story of such a group of men . To them this film is dedicated¨ . It deals with an ex-GI named Ken (Marlon Brando who follows the Stalislawski method from Actors' Studio) who as a result of a war wound suffers paralysis and is wheel-bound. In the hospital back home, he is depressed and the isolation young thanks the approval and help of the good Dr. Brock (Everett Sloane) and his former sweetheart Ellen (Teresa Wright) who manage to bring him out of it , as ken gets redeem himself . Ken's depression caused for his paralyzed below the waist is also overcome with the witty friendship of his fellow patients, especially the sly Norm (Jack Webb), the sympathetic Leo (Richard Erdman) and hunk young Angel (Jurado). Soon Ken throws himself into the job rehabilitation and later a long period of physical therapy even suspects he may regain the utilization of his feet. After that , he and Ellen marry, but on their wedding night both have sadness, misgivings and grief about their future , then bitter Ken reverts to self-pity. Ken drives nutty a car and takes place a crash accident . The newspapers publicize : ¨Paraplegics cited for drunk driving¨. Then he goes back to the hospital.. .This is a thoughtful flick with interesting storyline by Carl Foreman relies on wonderful interpretations and slick realization . Subtle performance from Marlon Brando in his screen debut as depressed paralysed young who pass through an initial period of bitterness and sorrow to spontaneous blazed anger and splendid Teresa Wright as his faithful fiancée . Everett Sloane steals the show as intelligent and realist doctor . Marvelous relationship among the main players , both of whom must attempt to build their new life full of difficulties and problems . Furthermore , special mention to ¨ Forty five of the men veterans of Birmingham Administration Hospital ¨. Though the characters and events depicted in this Photoplay are fictitious and similarity to persons , living or dead is purely coincidental. Atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Robert De Grasse A.S.C . Sensible musical score composed and conducted by the classic musician Dimitri Tiomkin. Atmospheric production design by Edward Boyle though is mostly set at a Hospìtal .The motion picture well produced by Stanley Kramer - National Film Release- and is stunningly directed by Fred Zinnemann who had a lot of experience from his formers classic films as ¨Act of violence , Seventh cross , Eyes in the night , The search ¨, among them. Rating : Above average . Well worth watching.

sol1218 (Mild Spoilers) Powerful drama, even though a bit dated now, about veterans who lost their ability to walk due to injuries on and off the battlefield trying to adjust to a new world. As well as renewing their relationships with those that they left behind, friends families and sweethearts, who in some cases try to forget that they ever existed.Taking a bullet in his back as he lead his troops into a German-occupied French village Let. Ken Wilcheck, Marlon Brando, is left paralyzed from the waist down. Given the bad news from his doctor Dr. Brock, Everett Stone, that he'll never walk again leaves Ken Wilcheck a stunned and broken man. The depression and self loathing for himself engulfs Ken in the realization that he'll never be a real man again. Ken's back at home sweetheart Elly Wilosek, Teresa Wright, who waited four years for him to return and who loves him even more then she did when he was healthy is now totally shunned by him.The battle that Ken Wilcheck, as well as the crippled veterans in the veterans hospital with him, had off the battlefield was as, if not more, emotional and heart-wrenching as any of the battles that he fought on it. Ken ends up fighting against himself and those, like Elly and Dr. Brock, who tried to help him in facing the real world which took everything out of him and almost cost, in him getting himself drunk and smashing himself up in a car crash, Ken his life.The movie "The Men" shows what men like Ken Wilcheck go through and how, in their own unique and individual ways, try to overcome the almost insurmountable obstacles in their path; by at first putting their permanent injuries behind them and then going back to a normal life. Ken himself is at first not willing to accept what fate gave to him and just lays in his hospital bed waiting to die or rot away. It's Elly who more then anyone else who gets him to overcome his deep depression. Since, unlike his fellow disabled veterans, she has her life ahead of her as a healthy and non-disabled young woman. Elly is more then willing to give up what any young woman would want more then anything else; a handsome, not that Ken isn't, and healthy husband and family in order to spend the rest of her life with him.Elly herself is confronted with Ken's condition by her parents Mr. & Mrs. Wilosek, Howard St. John & Dorothy Tree, who are anything but overjoyed in her wanting to marry the disabled veteran which makes her even more determined to tie the knot with him. That in some way, after she and Ken are married, almost destroyed their marriage as soon as it began. Being overly self-conscious and trying to baby Ken, instead of treating like a husband. Elly unknowingly makes it plain to Ken that she made a big mistake in marrying him which the sensitive as well as heart-broken Ken senses. That has the by now emotionally destroyed veteran leave her and go back to the hospital where her just was discharged from never wanting to see Elly again.Depressed and drunk Ken almost gets himself as well as his fellow disabled vet Leo, Richard Erdman, killed when the two went out to paint the town red, as well as get smashed on booze. Elly later tries to apologize, going to see Ken at the hospital, in what she did in making her now estranged husband run out on her. But as always it was up to Ken to make the first move and in the end he did it like the man, even though for a long time in the movie he had his doubts, that he always was.P.S One of the most poignant as well as explosive moments in the movie that really brought out the "Thin Red Line" that disable vets like Ken had to "walk" on when dealing with people in everyday life came very unexpectedly in "The Men". This happened when both Ken and Leo are approached in a bar by a somewhat drunk patron, Ray Teal. Teal who after telling the two what a great job, in getting themselves shot and almost killed, and service that they both did for their country is then stunned to almost being speechless. That's when Ken, sick and tired of being patronized by him, told the guy if he would be happy to have him marry his daughter! You can just imagine what happened after that!