86. Judgment at Nuremberg

Stanley Kramer, 1961

Based, as I understand it, on a episode of Playhouse 90, a weekly television show which presented live plays, Judgment at Nuremberg tells the story of three Nazi judges put on trial in Nuremberg in the days after the second World War. This is a terrific movie and another one of my all time favorite courtroom dramas. Whereas Witness for the Prosecution is told from the point of view of the lawyer, this film is told from the point of view of the judge, or at least the chief judge of the American tribunal, played by the great Spencer Tracy. Tracy plays a midwestern lawyer who feels as though he is in over his head, but who’s profound wisdom is exactly what the case needs. The main thrust of the film is the moral dilemma of whether or not these men, particularly the otherwise noble Ernst Janning, played spectacularly by Burt Lancaster, were simply following orders, condemning others to die by Hitler’s decree while doing their best to maintain order, or whether their crimes are so morally corrupt that these men, particularly in their roles as judges themselves, had it as their duty to defy Hitler. Maximilian Schell plays the defense attorney masterfully, even winning the academy award for best actor that year, making the vocal argument that Lancaster makes with his face. Of course, this was years before old Max would turn in his best performance opposite Ernest Borgnine and a couple of cute robots in The Black Hole, but I digress.

While, Judgment at Nuremberg sports an excellent story and terrific direction, it is a film which requires a great deal of thrust to keep it going, especially at just over three hours. Yet the film never lags. Stanley Kramer, a truly phenomenal director who is also responsible for films as diverse as Inherit the Wind and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, really keeps the film moving and clearly understands that it is the drama of the story and not overly elaborate camera work, although the camera work is very nice, that will drive the story along. To that end, he and his producers have assembled an absolute who’s who of great acting talent, all of whom turn in amazing performances. Along with Spencer Tracy, who’s quiet, yet intense performance is the backbone of the film, Burt Lancaster, and Maximilian Schell, we also get Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner, and Werner Klemperer. Marlene and Judy are both fantastic, displaying both real strength and heartbreaking vulnerability over the course of the film, but I’d really like to talk for a second about the last two. Having William Shatner and Werner Klemperer in this picture is really surreal, not so much so as to distract and this is obviously long before either would play their most famous roles, but still . . . Shatner plays a young army captain, which is weird. Having Shatner their and having people call him captain, well its just like watching “Patterns of Force.” That’s a big shout out to the Trek fans in the audience. Rock on. And then there’s Werner. Werner Klemperer, of course, gained eternal fame in the role of Colonel Klink in the immortal Hogan’s Heroes. In Judgment at Nuremberg, he plays one of the accused Nazi judges. That’s right, another Nazi. When he finally takes the stand, you really expect him to blame “Hooogan!” Still, despite Klink’s whining, this really is one of the most powerfully acted dramas you’ll ever see.