Rating: 4/5
Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, “Nuremberg,” directed by James Vanderbilt, depicts the 1946 Nuremberg Trials in a tense, historically accurate manner. The film brings audiences back in time and immerses them in the trial of infamous war criminals who served on behalf of Nazi Germany. The film, released on Nov. 7, makes a serious,nuanced attempt to portray both sides of the trial and reveals that life is often not just black and white, but grey and between the lines.
The film largely centers on the dynamic between Hermann Goering, Hitler’s second-in-command, played by Russell Crowe, and U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, played by Rami Malek. Malek’s character focuses on evaluating the mental health of Goering to ensure that he’s fit for trial and doesn’t attempt suicide to circumvent justice. Goering, having held the second highest position in Nazi Germany, had full knowledge of the Holocaust and didn’t do anything to stop it. The two have multiple tense interviews, which reveal a deeper human aspect to both Kelley and even Goering, regardless of how evil his actions were.
The film has a clear goal to “humanize” Nazis, a choice which some may see as controversial. Nevertheless, the film tries to get the point across that Nazis weren’t just outlandishly evil cartoon villains. Rather, the film portrays them as people with their own aspirations, flaws, and personalities. The movie, especially through Malek’s character, repeatedly tries to emphasize this message since it implies that any one of us could be capable of Nazi-equivalent actions or atrocities, given the right storm of factors and grievances.
The movie doesn’t attempt to justify the actions of the Nazis, however, and goes out of its way to make sure that audiences see the Nazis’ atrocities. A long montage during the trial shows actual Holocaust footage, with video of concentration camps and corpses stacked up high. It’s a way for audiences to witness in close detail the cruelty of a genocide that brought about the death of roughly 6 million Jewish inhabitants of Europe.
To emphasize these scenes and deepen the impact of all of it, the film also goes to great lengths to ensure that historical accuracy and cinematography were top-notch. An incredible set design closely mirrored historical settings at the time, along with a reconstruction of a replica of the Nuremberg Trial courtroom. Additionally, great costume design and scene composition were carefully managed to help bring audiences into the film.
Furthermore, Crowe and Malek give brilliant performances that at no point make the audience feel as if they were watching actors perform rather than real people. Crowe puts on an excellent act as Goering and emulates his mannerisms and character almost perfectly, with a convincing German accent despite the fact that Crowe is Australian.
The trial itself is also finely replicated in the film, with Goering’s cross-examination carried out thoughtfully and dramatically by Justice Robert H. Jackson, played by Michael Shannon, who gave a powerful performance. The constant back-and-forth verbal exchange between the two characters helps outline the tension between democratic ideals and a fascist past in a post-war setting. During trial scenes, there was also no music whatsoever, a directing choice most likely intended to have the audience focus on the trial itself, a decision which does indeed work.
The film does have its flaws, though. For one, the movie focuses a little too much on Goering and Kelley, rather than addressing all the war criminals as a whole. Additionally, some of the pacing felt a little off at times, such as the dramatic skip between 1945 to 1946. Nevertheless, it didn’t ruin the movie-viewing experience.
Nevertheless,I still strongly recommend the film for students and especially history buffs who want an immersive and historically accurate glimpse into the Nuremberg Trials in addition to great storytelling with good visuals and directing.
