Judgment at Nuremberg
Judgment at Nuremberg is a
1961 film which gives a fictionalized account of the post-
World War II Nuremberg Trials. It stars
Spencer Tracy,
Burt Lancaster,
Richard Widmark,
Marlene Dietrich,
Maximilian Schell,
Judy Garland,
Montgomery Clift,
Werner Klemperer and
William Shatner. The movie was written by
Abby Mann and directed by
Stanley Kramer.
The film does not depict the trial of the military and political leaders of
Nazi Germany who were held responsible for the crimes against humanity committed during
World War II or
the Holocaust as a whole; rather, the film depicts the trial of certain
judges who carried out the laws promulgated by the Nazi state. Such a trial did actually take place: the film was inspired by the
Judges' Trial before the
U.S. Nuremberg Military Tribunal in
1947.
One standout scene is the testimony of Rudolph Petersen, a German civilian baker, who, considered mentally incompetent, was sterilized by the Nazis in accordance with their social laws. As played by
Montgomery Clift, Petersen's nervousness about recounting the horrific tale of his past is visible from the start; he shifts and fidgets constantly on the stand and stammers in his speech. The tension is further amplified when he is cross-examined by defense attorney Hans Rolfe (Schell), who reveals that Petersen was removed from school for an inability to learn and because his mother was also deemed mentally incompetent.
The movie won the
Academy Award for Best Actor (Maximilian Schell) and
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and was nominated for
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Spencer Tracy),
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Montgomery Clift),
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Judy Garland),
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White,
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White,
Best Costume Design, Black-and-White,
Best Director,
Best Film Editing and
Best Picture.
*http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/nuremberg/JudgmentAtNuremberg.html
*
Discussion of themes in "Judgment at Nuremberg".*
3 Speeches from the Movie with Text, Audio and Video from AmericanRhetoric.com
