An unbiased and thought provoking look at whether German citizens must be made accountable for large scale crimes committed by there fellow countrymen.

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2013)

I was completely engrossed in this movie from the very first scene. What surprised me the most was that a movie that was made so soon after the war and the trials could give an unbiased and thought provoking perspective about German's and their middle tier of leadership. There is struggle shown about how one should stand up against their leaders and still remain patriotic. How can one report or stop mass murder, wide scale racism and human rights violations when it is being committed by the authorities. Should all citizens be blamed for the crimes of their fellow countrymen?
The acting is very strong by all but I must make a special mention of Montgomery Clift. In the short cameo that he makes, he expresses anger, shame and despair in way that is very believable and heart wrenching.
This should be must watch for everyone because it asks difficult questions about the relationship between nationalism, patriotism and humanity.