#182. Judgment at Nuremberg

I created this blog more than 10 years ago. A teenager still, I excitedly dove head first into movies I would have never watched otherwise. What I would give to hold this excitement again, for anything. Years later, In the midst of the (justified?) insecurity of my writing and overall perfectionism, I was burnt out from even the little watching and reviewing I did. Though according to a few friends, it could be a bit more than I believe.

Then, faced with a 3 hour, black and white, court drama that I couldn’t find on the internet ANYWHERE, I gave up for a few years. But I never forgot about my goal. I frequently think about how proud I will be once I revisit and make progress on the Top 250 List. So for now, I’m back. Maybe just for this review and I’ll write another one 10 years from now. That’s okay. And hopefully, my writing will be just as bad as I fear, so I can just say “fuck my perfectionism” and finally write.

Side note - I haven’t used the email associated with this account in ages. It just took me about an hour to figure out how to log into this account, to the point I thought I’d never be able to post again. In experiencing this sadness and loss, I realized how important this blog is to me. I’m officially excited to post! ♡

 

“We must forget if we want to go on living.”

In 1947, US Chief Justice Haywood (Spencer Tracy) listens the arguments led by the German defense attorney, Hans Rolfe (Maximilian Schell), and American prosecutor, Col. Tad Lawson (Richard Widmark). Haywood’s judgment determines if the defendants have committed crimes against humanity by enforcing the heinous laws in Nazi Germany. Outside of the courtroom, Haywood gets to know ordinary German citizens and specifically takes a liking to Frau Bertholt (Marlene Dietrich), a widow of a German general.

I would have never seen this movie if not for the 250 List, but I’m thankful I did. The dialogue and acting stand out especially. I’m particularly impressed by Hans Rolfe’s performance. I don’t believe it had to be three hours to make an impact and be considered a great movie; if some content were taken out of certain slow court scenes, it could have been the same quality in two hours. But as someone who knows little about WW2 since forgetting most of what I learned ten years ago, I found the plot (inspired by true events) educational and eye-opening, and it led me to do more research on its background that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.

This isn’t the typical sit back and relax, popcorn flick that requires little thought, obviously. It took consistent intention and focus to fully absorb it, at least for me. Regardless, the actors’ performances and dialogue are emotionally impactful, highlighting the interconnection of ethics and law. I’m finding the movie difficult to assess as I feel unqualified to do so with my little knowledge and perspective of its context. Nevertheless, my immediate rating is a 7.5.

Characters: 7.5

Acting: 8

Storyline: 6.5

Entertainment Value: 6

Immediate Rating: 7.5

Total Score: 35.5/50