Judgment at Nuremberg

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Starring: Spencer Tracy
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Release Date: 2004-09-07
Running Time: 186 minutes
Nominated* for eleven Academy AwardsÂ(r), including Best Picture, Judgment at Nuremberg is "magnificent" (Los Angeles Times), "continuously exciting" (The New Yorker) andboasts brilliant performances by an all-star cast. American judge Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy) presides over the trial of four German jurists accused of "legalizing" Nazi atrocities. But as graphic accounts of sterilization and murder unfold in the courtroom, mounting political pressure for leniency forces Haywood to make the most harrowing and difficult decision of his career. *1961: Actor (Maximilian Schell, won); Actor (Spencer Tracy); Supporting Actor (Montgomery Clift); Supporting Actress (Judy Garland); Director; Adapted Screenplay (won); Cinematography (B&W); Art Direction (B&W); Film Editing; Costume Design (B&W).

Without a doubt one of the greatest films ever made.
When was the last time you were able to stay wide awake and interested for a three hour movie? I usually have a tough time staying alert for a two hour flick. "Judgement At Nuremberg" is one of those rare motion pictures that grabs your attention at the outset and simply never lets go. The issues addressed in this film are monumental and the all-star cast make this one of the most compelling films that I have ever seen. "Judgement at Nuremberg" features one of my all-time favorite actors Spencer Tracy cast as Chief Judge Dan Haywood who was chosen to oversee the post World War II tribunal convened to determine the culpability of four Nazi judges who were responsible for sending millions of Jews to concentration camps and ultimately to their deaths. While the story in "Judgement at Nuremberg' is fictionalized it is clearly based on actual events that took place during the Nazi reign of terror. Richard Widmark is splendid as Chief Prosecutor Col. Tad Lawson while Maximilian Schell walked away with an Oscar for Best Actor for his passionate portrayal of lead defense attorney Hans Rolfe. Other memorable performances include Burt Lancaster as defendant Dr. Ernst Janning, Marlene Dietrich as Mrs. Bertholt and of all people Judy Garland who was quite convincing in her brief but important role as Mrs. Irene Hoffman Wallner.
The Nuremberg Trials were conducted just a few years after the conclusion of World War II in 1948. These proceedings, which lasted for about eight months, made headlines worldwide.
What I found particularly compelling about "Judgement at Nuremberg" was observing Chief Judge Haywood continuously struggling with the enormity of the crimes that had been committed. Although these events were familiar to just about everyone in that courtroom having to actually see, hear and digest the evidence proved quite unsettling to say the least. Perhaps the most moving part of the film is several minutes of actual footage from the concentration camps that document the prosecutions case in an incredibly graphic way. This is footage that you will likely never forget.
In my humble opinion, "Judgement at Nuremberg" should be required viewing for every high school student in America. They say that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. It is important that our young men and women are aware of what happened here. At the same time students will get a chance to see one of the greatest films ever made. Great performances and top notch writing make "Judgement At Nuremberg" one of those "must see" motion pictures. It is easy to see why in June 2008 the American Film Institute honored "Judgement At Nuremberg" as one of the 10 best courtroom dramas ever made. Highly recommended!

3 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:

Severely overlong, Judgement at Nuremberg could have done without its scenes of Spencer Tracy gadding about postwar Germany; nonetheless, the movie is still most assuredly worth watching for the caliber of its performances and its intelligent take on a controversial theme.

Judgement at Nuremberg
Some of the best old time actors ever seen. Many have past away but not forgotten,good performance by Spencer Tracey & Burt Lancaster.

Nuremberg
One of a kind! Purchased for young friend going to Germany who visited several of the camps as a result.

Is it any wonder that with a triumphant director, an all-star cast & an out-of-sight screenplay...
...Judgment at Nuremberg is the greatest narrative war-era film in all of American cinematic history.

"Judgment at Nuremberg" is an epic film that completely engulfs the viewer because of the nature and the severity of the subject matter. It is absolutely impossible to say who gave a better performance because the entire cast was perfect. Never has there been another motion picture with so many first-rate stars who all gave the performances of their collective careers.

The film is directed by Stanley Kramer, based on the screen play by Abby Mann. And the main cast includes:
Spencer Tracy / Judge Dan Haywood
Burt Lancaster / Dr. Ernst Janning (defendant/judge)
Richard Widmark / Col. Lawson (prosecuting attorney)
Marlene Dietrich / Mrs. Bertholt
Maximilian Schell / Hans Rolfe (defense attorney)
Judy Garland / Mrs. Irene Hoffman Wallner
Montgomery Clift / Rudolph Petersen (prosecution witness)
William Shatner / Capt. Harrison Byers (Judge Haywood's aide)

The performance of Spencer Tracy does stand out though. After all it's really his film. He was the type of man who didn't need to say very much for anyone to get what he was communicating. His facial and body expressions were just as detailed and expressive as the words that he said. My favorite line was towards the very ends when Judge Haywood told the defense attorney that: just because it's logical doesn't mean that it's right. As far as I'm concerned those are words to live by. And he said them perfectly, it wasn't like some big speech. It was just said very nonchalantly which made it that much more important.

Marlene Dietrich as Mrs. Bertholt was another member of the cast who didn't need to say much because her entire aura said it all. She was probably the premiere entertainer of the golden era and although she has a rather small role in this film it is still one of her very best. Mr. Burt Lancaster was another extraordinary, larger-than-life actor, playing the role of Ernest Janning (one of the defendants). Dr. Jamming said very little until he could take no more and when he finally spoke it was as if the floodgates swung open with all rapidity. Mr. Burt Lancaster is probably the only thespian who is talented enough to give this character such a heart and body and mind and make him appear almost victimized.

The film is over 3 hours long (190 minutes to be exact). Generally when I watch a movie that's more than 2 hours I tend to get restless and start thinking that the editor didn't do his job very well. "Judgment at Nuremberg" though is the perfect length because it tells the entire story, from beginning, to end. Perhaps it's no coincidence that there was a television series that was based on the original screenplay which predates the film.

The performance of Miss Judy Garland is totally her most decisive dramatic role ever. She enters the picture 90 minutes into the film and is only in 3 scenes however she still captures just as much attention as the other stars. Besides her beautiful eyes that she could never hide under any circumstance, you'll almost be unable to recognize her because she looked and sounded so un-Judy Garland. There wasn't a touch of glamour in Irene Hoffman Wallner. Instead she was this scared and almost timid lady who had been beaten down by the ravages of the extreme brutality that was all around her. The second time she took the witness stand was perhaps my favorite part of the entire movie because all of a sudden Mrs. Hoffman Wallner became so transfixed and animated because of that vicious lie that the defense attorney tried to shove down everyone's throats.

"Judgment at Nuremberg" is a larger-than-life, behemoth story that needs to be told because it articulates the effects of what happens when evil is afforded totalitarian. They say sloth is one of the seven deadly sins and after viewing this film I can certainly understand why. It's also an important movie because there is no winner and it doesn't end with a happy ending, (at least as far as I'm concerned I didn't see anything happy in this picture). Instead, it's one of those rare movies which conveys that there's a thin line between man's benevolence and man's utter bankrupt corruption.