Adolf Hitler's mad policies resulted in the deaths of some fifty million people. But by 1948, Hitler was long dead, as were most of his high profile cronies.
But what about the bureaucrats who carried out his policies? What about the judges who rubberstamped the decisions sending thousands of 'enemies of the German state' to horrible deaths in concentration camps? Were those judges guilty of crimes against humanity, or were they 'just doing their jobs'?
But if the judges were guilty of being Nazi enablers, then who wasn't guilty? What about world powers who had allowed Germany to militarize, and even to occupy Austria and Czechoslovakia? What about all the German citizens, who had looked the other way as Jews and other 'undesirables' were stripped of their rights, property, and lives?
Aside from these imposing philosophical questions about blame and responsibility, there were practical matters to be considered. By 1948, the Soviet Union had occupied Eastern Europe, and the U.S. badly needed the co-operation of West German to fight the Cold War. Perhaps it would be better to save Europe from Communism, than to save Germany from its former fascists.
Judgment at Nuremberg is a dramatization of a true story. The film covers the third of thirteen Nuremberg trials. Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy) is the American presiding jurist, an insightful, inquisitive man whose integrity is beyond reproach.
Col. Lawson (Richard Widmark) is the prosecutor, an American obsessed with finding somebody accountable for the evils of the past Nazi regime. Hans Rolfe (Maximilian Schell) is the passionate defense attorney. Among the defendants are embittered German legal scholar Janning (Burt Lancaster) and unrepentant Nazi Emil Hahn (Werner Klemperer). Marlene Dietrich plays the proud widow of an executed Nazi officer. A very youthful William Shatner shows up as Tracy's breezy adjutant.
Judy Garland and Montgomery Clift have supporting roles playing witnesses, for which they each received Oscar nominations. They had other things in common as well. Both were addicted to drugs, and would die before the end of the 1960s. Clift's alcoholism made him a nervous wreck on the set, repeatedly forgetting his lines. Judgment at Nuremberg was Garland's first film in seven years, since A Star is Born (1954).
Schell reprised his role from the television play, from which the film was adapted. Schell won the Oscar for Best Actor, over Spencer Tracy who had also been nominated. However, Tracy may have deserved the Oscar more, especially since his eleven minute speech was allegedly filmed in a single take. Schell's performance is full of theatrical bluster, which is typical for courtroom dramas. Schell was actually much better in another noted Nazi-related film, Julia (1977).
Stanley Kramer was both producer and director, and he expertly promoted the film. For its premier, he flew hundreds of journalists from America to Germany. Understandably, the German critics were not as impressed with the film as were their American counterparts.
Critics often tend to give films more credit if they deal with serious, important issues. As was the case for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), Judgment at Nuremberg explored the Nazi persecution of Jews. Both films were lengthy and self-important, and both were duly showered with critical praise and Academy Award nominations.
A movie can earnestly tackle an important subject, and still come up short. That may be the case for Judgment at Nuremberg. There's lots of shouting and speechmaking, the most unlikely of which is a 'please convict me' courtroom confession from Lancaster. Every one speaks English, even the German prisoners during their private conversations. Compare with The Longest Day (1962). It's also too long, with all the scenes of Tracy painting the town being unnecessary to the story. (53/100)
This gripping, provocative and powerful . lm with an allstarcast, including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, RichardWidmark, Marlene Dietrich and Judy G...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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