JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG was adapted from Abby Mann's TV play and turned into a masterful piece of work by director Stanley Kramer. His sterling cast included SPENCER TRACY and RICHARD WIDMARK (American judge and prosecutor, respectively), German defense attorney MAXIMILIAN SCHELL in his award-winning Best Actor role, and such impressive defendants as MARLENE DIETRICH, JUDY GARLAND and MONTGOMERY CLIFT, all giving deeply felt performances.
As every student of history knows, there were trials after World War II held in Nuremberg, Germany for Nazis who committed crimes against humanity during the war. This story concerns some fictional German defendants who were more like second tier when it came to atrocities committed since the primary leaders had already been judged. Nevertheless, their part in the war crimes is investigated as the trial proceeds to occupy most of the film, giving the whole story a claustrophobic feeling, the kind one always gets from a real-life courtroom setting.
Tracy has some marvelous speeches to make--and Maximilian Schell has his moments where the viewpoint of an intelligent German defense attorney is seen as opposed to the violently opposite statements of RICHARD WIDMARK as the American prosecutor. The audience is forced to view both viewpoints and, having heard all the evidence presented, make up its own mind as to the outcome.
It's an important film historically and one can certainly understand why so many of the actors were honored with Academy Award nominations or winners of Golden Globes. They all play an important part in keeping the film grounded in reality and not given to melodramatic outbursts.
Summing up: Honest and thought-provoking, it serves as a valuable history lesson as well as a solid piece of entertainment.
