A Rare Film of Considerable Power

Rating: 9/10 (20 August 2005)

One rarely finds a movie that works on as many levels as Kramer's famous JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG. The film concerns an American judge (Spenser Tracy) sent to Germany to preside over a war-crimes trial at a point when American politicians are less concerned about justice than about securing German support re the Cold War. As such, the film concerns not only the Nazi atrocities on trial, but the American government's willingness to become accomplices after the fact if such will buttress America's own military interests. The film repeatedly raises questions concerning the price of such deliberate, feigned public ignorance--both as it was manifest in Nazi Germany before and during the war and as it is now becoming manifest in America and its allies after the war.
The action of the film divides between the courtroom and the judge's personal experiences in Nuremberg. The courtroom scenes are quite powerful, with Maximillian Schell as the attorney for the defense who argues that his clients knew nothing of the holocaust and Richard Widmark who argues that one could not live in Nazi Germany without being aware of the holocaust. At the same time the judge finds the same battle in his social life when he meets Marlene Dietrich, widow of a Nazi officer, who insists that the German people (herself among them) were completely ignorant of Nazi atrocities and who clearly feels judgment of the German people should be quietly set aside now that the war is over. Ultimately, of course, Tracy must pass judgment both in the court and in his personal relationships on the degree to which claims of ignorance can be accepted as truth--and must accept responsibility for the result.
Tracy and Dietrich's remarkable performances are equaled by Widmark and Schell. Indeed, the entire cast--which includes Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, and Montgomery Cliff--is particularly fine. The script is remarkable for its directness, the cinematography is quite basic, and the score is both discreet and atmospheric. The film's conclusion, which includes a confrontation between judge Tracy and accused Lancaster, is extremely memorable. Although some may find the film a bit long or a bit too intellectual, most will be impressed with virtually every aspect of JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG--and most particularly with the casual restraint with which it tells it story and makes it powerful point. Required viewing. Highly recommended.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer