Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Must See Movie...

Best movie of this year hands down!

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazi judges for war crimes. The biggest problem with 'Judgment at Nuremberg' is that it takes completely place inside a court room and as fun as that might sound it really isn't and just picture 'A Few Good Men' inside there for 3 hours now it wouldn't be the epic film that it turned out to be now would it? The acting was alright and so was the cinematography and direction but other than that? It was way long and just needed alot of scenes to cut out like fifty of them maybe even more. (5/10)

I've never been a big fan of Burt Lancaster, but his acting was powerful as Dr. Ernst Janning. Spencer Tracy is always good, but this may have been his best performance (along with "Bad Day at Black Rock"). I am not going to write a synopsis of this movie, but will suggest that anyone who enjoys REAL ACTING, well watch this movie. I was 10 years old when this movie came out, but never watched it until I was 66 and am awfully glad I did.

On one hand, I'd say that this is the sort of film that could only have been made in the 50s or the 60s. It has that atmosphere with some cold war tension and that sort of audience. The time period was very unique and had a wide range of movies of different styles and was an era of change in the film industry.On the other hand, I'd say that this movie was of its time. With its quick camera motions, 360 degree turns and unique film-making style (by acclaimed director Stanley Kramer), this is without doubt almost an 80s or 90s film in directorial aspects.The two most powerful things that the film had in hand were its fantastic performances by Spencer Tracy (and others whose names I cannot remember), and the message of the film (which is almost a twist in itself).Overall, it's a masterpiece and nothing short of that. One of the best films I have ever seen.

Directed by Stanley Kramer, this movie is the story of a great courtroom drama involving judges of Nazi Germany. The judges, including a great jurist who became the Minister of Justice, administered laws aimed at imposing racial purity and mandatory sterilization. Human beings were treated as pawns in the hands of these men in the name of the Nazi state. The presiding judge, played superbly by Spencer Tracey, is a model of integrity. In the role of the former minister of justice is Burt Lancaster, a cut above the other small-minded tyrants who had no conscience in carrying out their cruel sentences to produce the master race. Despite his character and his great legal mind, he too was complicit in the tragedy. In fact, his sharp sense of revulsion about these crimes, made him even more repellant as he went against his own conscience and training. The other cast members include Maximilian Schell as the defence attorney, Richard Widmark as the prosecuting attorney, Judy Garland and Montgomery Clift as key witnesses as well as victims, and Marlene Dietrich as the widow of wartime criminal already executed. All the cast are outstanding. While the story is overly long, we get a strong sense of the characters and how Tracey as a judge lived and mingled with the people of Nuremberg during his time in the occupied post-war country. The director, Stanley Kramer, made movies that showed people of conscience in conflict with the established order. He made use of great acting talents like Burt Lancaster and Spencer Tracey to issue strong statements of principle. This movie is a prime example of his great legacy as a director.