A Very Interesting & Well-Crafted Look at a Difficult Subject

Rating: Null/10 (20 January 2005)

This is a very interesting, well-crafted, and thought-provoking look at a difficult subject from a difficult period in world history. It recreates the complex feelings and issues of the era with care, and it goes out of its way to be fair to all of the characters and what they stand for.
Between the difficult decisions involved in determining responsibility for the outrages that took place under the Nazi regime, and the diplomatic worries of the era, there is a lot of emotionally charged material, and yet "Judgment at Nuremberg" uses an excellent cast and well-conceived characters to create a movie that is both worthwhile for its themes and interesting to watch.
The characters are well-chosen so as to allow the opportunity for each major perspective to have a hearing, and the cast members do quite well in bringing their characters to life. Spencer Tracy gives one of his finest performances as the judge in the center of it all. Very few other actors could have been so believable in portraying the character as he carefully weighs so many different viewpoints, knowing that he must come to a decision.
Burt Lancaster is very effective as the most interesting of the defendants, and the one whose case is the hardest to evaluate. His character is contrasted effectively with the other defendants, and Lancaster makes the character interesting and his case significant. Maximilian Schell also succeeds in a challenging role. Marlene Dietrich works well in her role, which represents yet another aspect of the general situation. The other characters likewise all have a purpose, and are all portrayed believably, with Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland in particular standing out as two traumatized witnesses.
Even within the lengthy running time, it would not be possible to cover every significant point involved in the discussion. But this dramatization is one of the best depictions available of the dilemmas and challenges that had to be faced in the aftermath of the Second World War.