Judgment at Nuremberg (film)
"Judgment at Nuremberg" is a courtroom drama film released in 1961 by United Artists, based on the Judges Trial of 1947, which adjudicated Nazi officials for crimes against humanity after World War II. The film focuses on the prosecution of four German judges who enforced the oppressive laws of the Nazi regime, reflecting on themes of morality, collective responsibility, and the complexities of justice. Set in post-war Nuremberg, the narrative revolves around Judge Dan Haywood, who grapples with the legality and ethics of the defendants' actions, particularly that of Ernst Janning, a respected judge who ultimately confesses his guilt.
The film features an all-star cast, including Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, and Maximilian Schell, who received acclaim for their performances. It is known for its powerful courtroom scenes, particularly a notable closing speech by Tracy, delivered in a single take. The narrative also intertwines actual wartime footage, bringing a stark reality to the atrocities discussed. "Judgment at Nuremberg" was well-received by critics and audiences alike, earning eleven Academy Award nominations and winning two, including Best Actor for Schell. The film has since been recognized for its cultural and historical significance, earning preservation in the Library of Congress.
Judgment at Nuremberg (film)
- Release Date: 1961
- Director(s): Stanley Kramer
- Writer(s): Abby Mann
- Principal Actors and Roles: Burt Lancaster (Dr. Ernst Janning); Maximilian Schell (Hans Rolfe ); Spencer Tracy (Chief Judge Dan Haywood); Spencer Tracy (Chief Judge Dan Haywood); Richard Widmark (Col. Tad Lawson); Mongomery Clift (Rudolph Petersen); Marlene Dietrich (Mrs. Bertholt); Marlene Dietrich (Mrs. Bertholt); Judy Garland (Irene Hoffman Wallner); Judy Garland (Irene Hoffman Wallner); William Shatner (Capt. Harrison Byers)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Judgment at Nuremberg by Abby Mann
Judgment at Nuremberg was a courtroom drama released in 1961 by the film studio United Artists. The movie is a fictionalized telling of the Judges Trial of 1947, one of the many military tribunals that were created after World War II. Many of these specialized trials that took place in the years following the war were set up to judge the crimes against humanity committed by participants in and promoters of the Nazi regime. The trial depicted in the film focuses on four German judges, former Nazis who enforced laws that promoted the condemnation of individuals of particular ethnicities, religions, and political affiliations. The film includes real cases that occurred during the Nuremberg trials, including the Katzenberger case, which became the fictionalized Feldenstein case in the movie. The film’s story was written by Abby Mann, and it is adapted from his original teleplay, one that aired on CBS in 1959 during an episode of Playhouse 90. Several of the original actors, including Maximilian Schell and Werner Klemperer, reprised their TV roles in the Hollywood film.
The film showcases an all-star cast, including renowned actors such as Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, and Montgomery Clift. Many of these actors agreed to appear in the film for much less than their usual asking prices because they believed the film would bring awareness to many important social issues.
Plot
Judgment at Nuremberg takes place in 1947 in Nuremberg, Germany. It is here that a military tribunal has been set up to determine the culpability of four German judges for their involvement in the Nazi regime. Judge Dan Haywood, a New England judge, travels to Nuremberg to be on a panel of judges who will hear the cases and decide the fate of the defendants. One of the defendants is Ernst Janning. He is being prosecuted for condemning a Jewish man to death for having sex with a sixteen-year-old Aryan girl; the defendant was convicted in the end despite the fact that there was no evidence to support the charge against him. Haywood attempts to understand how Janning, who is intelligent and respected around the world for his law expertise, could have been complicit with the regime and sentenced innocent people to death. The lawyer for the defense, Hans Rolfe, maintains that these men cannot be found guilty for simply continuing to advocate the laws of their country.
In his attempt to understand the defendants, Haywood makes the acquaintance of Madame Bertholt, the widow of a German general who was executed for his war crimes. In court, a woman named Irene Hoffman testifies despite her fears, and she recounts how her Jewish friend was executed after being wrongly accused of having a relationship with her and sullying the Aryan race. Hoffman is bullied and is reduced to tears by Rolfe’s defense until Janning intervenes. Throughout the entire trial, Janning has remained quiet, but Hoffman’s story stirs something in him, and he asks to take the stand. Janning admits his guilt for the crimes he is accused of, revealing that he justified his actions by telling himself that it was for the greater good of Germany.
During the trial, the Soviet Union begins making moves that result in the Cold War. The judges deliberating on the verdict, including Haywood, are subject to outside forces that are pressuring them to show the defendants mercy in their rulings. It is thought that such mercy will strengthen West Germany. Haywood, however, refuses to show leniency for the sake of geopolitics, and after finding all four defendants guilty, the judges sentence the convicted men to life in prison. The film ends with a message that informs the viewer that none of the ninety-nine people who were sentenced throughout the Nuremberg Trials were still in prison in 1961 when the film was released.
Significance
Judgment at Nuremberg explores many difficult and important themes, including human rights, morality, and ethics. The film also explores the theme of collective responsibility, a concept that holds individuals accountable for the toleration of the acts of others; this toleration can manifest itself in several ways, including the concealing or overlooking of such actions. The film raises the question of whether or not defendants in the film, such as the character Ernst Janning, are guilty of crimes against humanity because they were complicit in the atrocities and discrimination promoted by the Nazi regime.
The film showcases the complexity of these issues through speeches made in the courtroom as well as by giving a human face and perspective to individuals who are charged with these crimes. One of the film’s most memorable speeches is the closing oration delivered by Spencer Tracy, who portrayed Judge Haywood. The speech, which lasts eleven minutes, was captured in one single take. The film also sought to showcase the harsh realities of the crimes being addressed through the use of actual wartime footage. Filmmakers included graphic material taken by the Allies when the Nazi concentration camps were liberated. One scene in particular shows real footage taken of piles of naked corpses that were bulldozed, a bold and risky inclusion for a film released in the early 1960s.
The film was particularly well received by American critics, who applauded the film for its candid portrayal of difficult topics. The performances by the large cast were also praised, and in particular, Schell was singled out for his role as the defense lawyer, Hans Rolfe. The film did fairly well at the box office, bringing in approximately $6 million, although it was considered a loss for the studio. Judgment at Nuremberg received eleven Academy Award nominations altogether, including four acting nominations as well as Best Picture and Best Director (Stanley Kramer). Out of the eleven nominations, the film took away two awards—Best Actor for Schell and the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2013, the United States Film Registry, recognizing the film for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, selected Judgment at Nuremberg for preservation in the Library of Congress.
Awards and nominations
Won
- Golden Globe (1961) Best Actor (Drama)
- Golden Globe (1961) Best Director
- Academy Award (1961) Best Actor: Maximilian Schell
- Academy Award (1961) Best Screenplay (Adapted): Abby Mann
Nominated
- Academy Award (1961) Best Art Direction (Black-and-White)
- Academy Award (1961) Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)
- Academy Award (1961) Best Film Editing
- Academy Award (1961) Best Picture
- Academy Award (1961) Best Director: Stanley Kramer
- Academy Award (1961) Best Actor: Spencer Tracy, Spencer Tracy
- Academy Award (1961) Best Supporting Actor: Mongomery Clift
- Academy Award (1961) Best Supporting Actress: Judy Garland, Judy Garland
- Academy Award (1961) Best Costume Design (Black-and-White): Jean Louis
- Golden Globe (1961) Best Motion Picture (Drama)
Bibliography
Douglas, Lawrence. The Memory of Judgment: Making Law and History in the Trials of the Holocaust. New Haven: Yale UP, 2001. Print.
Gonshak, Henry. "Hollywood Judges the Germans: Judgment at Nuremberg." Hollywood and the Holocaust. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 99-116. Print.
Greenfield, Steve, Guy Osborn, and Peter Robson. Film & the Law. London: Cavendish, 2001. Print.
"Judgment at Nuremberg." Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia. Ed. Philip C. DiMare. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 282-83. Print.
"Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/22842/Judgment-at-Nuremberg/>.
Schultz, Deanne. Filmography of World History. Westport: Greenwood, 2007. Print.