In Germany following WWII, U.N. relief workers labor tirelessly to feed and house the scores of child refugees produced by the war. From one of these lots, a confused and traumatized young boy, who holds no command of any language, attempts to escape by way of a nearby river and is feared drowned. Spotted soon after on land by an Army engineer (Montgomery Clift), the young man takes the boy in and teaches him to read, as he determines the best way to handle the situation. Fred Zinneman's "The Search" was filmed on location amidst a decimated postwar Germany, which lends an air of authenticity to this noble minded film which faces the issue head on, but often comes off as a shrill and grating feature length United Way infomercial. The highlight of the film is Montgomery Clift's performance in what was his film debut, and his rapport with the young actor Ivan Jandl, which does contain genuine, heartfelt sincerity.
