Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of film: 179 Minutes

Rated: PG

Genre: Drama, War

Director: Stanley Kramer

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximillian Schell, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner, Marlene Dietrich

IMDB Rank: 8.3/10

Part 1 Time: 92 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  88 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Col. Tad Lawson goes to Berlin to convince Irene Hoffmann to provide testimony at the Nuremberg trials.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “I knew that somehow it would come to this” Irene Hoffman speaks out loud after agreeing to provide testimony.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Dr. Geuter do you recognize that article?” Maj. Abe Radnitz questions Dr. Heinrich Geuter in court room.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, the Chief Prosecutors are still presenting their case. Irene has agreed to provide testimony, this an important witness for the Chief Prosecutors. But the Defence Counsel, will now have a chance to present their case to the Judges. What will be the verdict?

Which part is better? The Nuremberg trials show the atrocities committed by many Nazi judges towards various ethnic groups. It is disheartening and unbearable at times, to hear the testimony presented by witnesses who were subjected to these events. Although both parts of the trial should be watched, in order to understand the arguments presented by both the Chief Prosecutors and Defence Counsel, part two is given a slight edge due to the final verdict of the case being presented.

Academy Awards: Best Leading Actor (Maximillian Schell), Best Writing- Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Picture (Nominated), Best Leading Actor (Nominated-Spencer Tracy), Best Supporting Actor (Nominated- Montgomery Clift), Best Supporting Actress (Nominated- Judy Garland), Best Director (Nominated), Best Cinematography- Black and White (Nominated), Best Art Direction- Set Direction Black and White (Nominated), Best Costume Design- Black and White (Nominated), Best Film Editing (Nominated).

National Film Registry: 2013