Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Reid V

  
  Quite possibly the most riveting and masterfully filmed courtroom dramas I have ever seen. While I hear that Kramer went on to become a studio hack, he hit it out of the park here. I honestly couldn't believe that a director could utilize the space of a room in the ways that… More
  Quite possibly the most riveting and masterfully filmed courtroom dramas I have ever seen. While I hear that Kramer went on to become a studio hack, he hit it out of the park here. I honestly couldn't believe that a director could utilize the space of a room in the ways that Kramer did. His camera is rarely static and never distracting. It is graceful and delicate. Tracy and Lancaster are brilliant but that is business as usual. The man who really steals the show is Maximilian Schell. It will probably go down as one of the best supporting performances that I have ever seen.

• Aditya G

  
  I did not think much of Kramer's previous courtroom drama, "Inherit the Wind" which also starred Spencer Tracy. But the mere premise and ensemble starcast of "Judgment at Nuremberg" was reason enough to rent this film and give it a shot. Inspired by true… More
  I did not think much of Kramer's previous courtroom drama, "Inherit the Wind" which also starred Spencer Tracy. But the mere premise and ensemble starcast of "Judgment at Nuremberg" was reason enough to rent this film and give it a shot. Inspired by true events, this fictionalized account of the trials stars Spencer Tracy as Judge Dan Haywood who is supposed to give judgement in the trial of four Nazi judges who have been charged with crimes against humanity. They have been accused of twisting the law during the Nazi regime and helping the government to put away some socially undesirable individuals and also advocating and permitting the forceful sexual sterilization of some others. One of these judges is Ernst Janning, played by a sad-faced and silent Burt Lancaster, who has once been a much respected figure in the ministry of justice. Books published by him, still being used in some universities, Judge Haywood is baffled about how a man who values justice so much, can be responsible for such heinous acts of brutality. What follows is a gripping courtroom battle of wits between the prosecuting attorney, Col. Lawson (Richard Widmark) and Hans Rolfe (Maximilian Schell). Amidst all this courtroom chaos, Judge Haywood himself has some experiences of his own, when he is not sitting on the judge's chair, getting acquainted with German people who have lived to see the ghastly past of the Nazi regime, yet seem to be completely oblivious to most of the details, including the holocaust. Stanley Kramer does a great job of directing this film written by Abby Mann. Ernst Gold's original music nicely complements some other German traditional music used in this film, particularly the group singing in bars. The performances: Great..all of them. Special mention, though, about: Spencer Tracy: Excellent as Judge Haywood who is clearly taken aback on how some of the "good" Germans he has come to be acquainted with in his short stay can claim to not have any knowledge about the war crimes and holocaust in the Nazi regime. Burt Lancaster: Wonderful portrayal of the sad-eyed Dr. Ernst Janning full of regret for the acts he has been accused of committing. Marlene Dietrich: Great as the widow of a German soldier who was executed. Maximilian Schell: The most scene-stealing performance of them all. He gets some of the most powerful scenes to chew on and pulls it off brilliantly! Last but not the least, the "single-scene stealers" as I call them, these actors took my breath away in their very brief appearances: Judy Garland as Irene Hoffman and Montgomery Clift as Rudolf Petersen. Splendid performances, both of them! Academy Award nominations, well-deserved. This film runs more than three hours long, and may require some patience on part of the viewer for all the verbose courtroom proceedings. But once the "Exit music" starts playing, you know that you have just had the pleasure of viewing one of the most powerful courtroom films out there. This is also one of those films that will ensure that you have as much the same dilemma, about who to root for, as faced by some principal characters in this film! Recommended!

• AJ V

  
  There are two reasons to watch this movie: the all-star cast and the educational/intelligent view of WWII. These reasons weren't good enough to get a higher rating in my opinion, the movie is very long and boring. Overall a pretty good movie, it would have been better if it had… More
  There are two reasons to watch this movie: the all-star cast and the educational/intelligent view of WWII. These reasons weren't good enough to get a higher rating in my opinion, the movie is very long and boring. Overall a pretty good movie, it would have been better if it had a bit more suspense.

• Spencer S

  
  This is not just a film. No, a film is a story that is told with a certain perspective. This story was black and white to many. Making the gray areas apparent was all in Kramer's direction, and the amazing cast. Performances by Tracy, Garland, Lancaster, and Clift stand out as… More
  This is not just a film. No, a film is a story that is told with a certain perspective. This story was black and white to many. Making the gray areas apparent was all in Kramer's direction, and the amazing cast. Performances by Tracy, Garland, Lancaster, and Clift stand out as much as the Oscar winner Maximilian Schell. Extremly long, but time whisks by, I promise you.

• Rubia Carolina .

  
  Black screen and a German marching song. An overture nearly four minutes long. A three hours long film, but never overlong. A supporting and amazing cast. Some heartbreaking acting like Judy Garland as Irene Hoffman Wallner. Breathtaking. After such Nazi atrocities, all that… More
  Black screen and a German marching song. An overture nearly four minutes long. A three hours long film, but never overlong. A supporting and amazing cast. Some heartbreaking acting like Judy Garland as Irene Hoffman Wallner. Breathtaking. After such Nazi atrocities, all that matters is (still) political conveniences. <a href='http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=judyk.jpg'><img src='http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/109/judyk.jpg' border='0' alt='Image Hosted by ImageShack.us'/></a> After watching Judgment at Nuremberg (and the tapes they show of the concentration camps), I rethought about "The Reader" and reconsidered my feelings and impressions about Hanna Schmitz, played by Kate Winslet. Like Dr. Ernst Janning, Hanna Schmitz was, after all and spite of anything, guilty. ... <br> <br>

• Pierluigi P

  
  A cast of legends and an excellent screenplay made easier for Stanley Kramer to achieve such powerful and compelling courtroom drama. A film that any person should have the opportunity to watch, especially the world leaders.

• jay n

  
  a fine film but somber and long.

• Michael G

  
  I caught all but the last two minutes but I really liked it. It's full of great performances, namely from Burt Lancaster. It also asks a lot of great ethical questions as well. At a running time of about 3 hours its definitely not for everyone but a must for WWII history buffs.

• Sarah P

  
  The movie was a bit long, but all the performaces were engaging. It really shows you there's no black and white when dealing with world war II.

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