Edward Dmytryk's powerful film from Irwin Shaw's novel of three young soldiers - two American, one German - during World War Two.

Marlon Brando and screenwriter Edward Anhalt remoulded the central character of the young Nazi, Christian.

The brute of the book was changed to a dedicated but humane officer whose conscience troubles him more and more until he can no longer shut his eyes to atrocities committed in the name of the Reich.

Three more outstanding performances - by Maximilian Schell as the officer whose wife becomes Christian's mistress, Parley Baer, as Christian's friend and, surprisingly, Dean Martin, as the brasher of the Americans - make this a film to stay in the memory.

The black and white photography by Joe MacDonald is also outstanding.