Nothing Simple About Justice

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2016)

Spencer Tracy is at his best in this film. It is a post World War II trial of four judges who made decisions during the reign of Hitler. We get a look at the causes of the German people's allegiance to the horrible tyrant. We get to see why the decisions made by the judges were not so simple and we get a sense of their humanity. We don't get a simplistic presentation of them as monsters. They were men who were forced to make decisions that may not be moral but which put country first. There is a real sense that we are the flies on the walls of Spencer Tracy's office. He is determined to make the correct decision and decide whether these men should be executed. Their crimes are pretty black and white. The screenplay is remarkable. It took into account the realities of the time and the aftermath of the German people. One thing to remember is that after the war, the people themselves were forward thinking. Remarkable performances by Tracy and, particularly by Burt Lancaster.