Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12385 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-03
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, PAL, Subtitled
• Original language: English, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 178 minutes

Synopsis
True story dealing with the Nazi war crimes trials of several members of the German judiciary. Here the focus is on two particular individuals, the judge who must render a final opinion and one particular defendant, a well respected German scholar. the defendant, played by Burt Lancaster, must come to grips with the reality of his actions or inaction.

Customer Reviews

A great film for a rainy day in November...
This is a dark film about a dark subject, but don't be put off. It is also a stunning film that will grip you from beginning to end. The cast-list reads like a who's who of celluloid star quality: Spencer Tracey, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland and others. All directed by the wonderful Stanley Kramer. Tracey plays a US judge at the Nuremberg Trials, who must sit in judgment over a group of Nazis accused of war crimes. With the new reality of the Cold War, there is pressure on the court to show leniency in order to win over the German people in the new struggle between East and West. It is a deeply troubling film that poses the question - did ordinary Germans know what was really happening, and if they did, where does culpability lie? Maximilian Schell plays a young German lawyer who argues that men cannot be found guilty for merely being loyal to their government; Lancaster plays one of the accused who argues for his own condemnation: 'I made my life excrement, because I walked with them'. All of the performances are excellent and some are among the most powerful you will ever see on celluloid. This is a great film for a rainy day in November.

A difficult subject handled excellently by the director.
The difficult subject of sorting out culpability of the Nazi regime is handled very well by Stanley Kramer and his actors. The film is never on the side of any one party, the Nazis are shown to be often harried reluctantly to commit unspeakable acts and the Allies are seen to be sometimes persecuting a whole nation for truth. The cast are impeccable, Oscar winning Maximillian Schell projects noble indignaty to what Germany has now to face, and Spencer Tracy his usual excellent self, showing the sane face of American justice. Special notice must also go to Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland, both nearly at the end of their careers, and both giving performances of incredible intensity. The only fault of this film is the excessive running time, it often seems ponderous, but ultimately it evokes the pondering that Tracy and his judges had to do. Recommended.

will grip you start to finish
Young German lawyer, Maximillian Schell, has the daunting task of defending four nazi judges accused of war crimes, at the Nuremberg trials. Richard Widmark is the rather 'zealous' prosecution council, who never gives up. Spencer Tracey is the senior trial judge, fair minded and who just 'wants to understand'. This was certainly the first such film, that made any attempt to give both sides a fair hearing.

The defence council finds that the evidence against his clients is just the start of his problems, when one of the accussed, Burt Lancaster, decides to declare himself and his colleagues guilty. However, the trial continues with several spectacular and electric courtroom confrontations between Widmark and Schell.

Things become more complicated when events and people outside of the courtroom start to put pressure on the key players in the courtroom. Worse still, Spencer Tracey finds out that his romantic interest, Marlene Dietrich, not only is certain that Burt Lancaster is not guilty, but had her husband executed at another trial, thanks mainly to Richard Widmark.

Montgommery Clift and Judy Garland are two victims of nazi rule, that are asked to give evidence, but will they both attend? This really is marvellous stuff, brialliantly produced and directed, with the four individual verdicts being uncertain till almost at the end of the film.

Maximillian Schell won an oscur for his barn storming performance, with Spencer Tracey, Burt Lancaster and Marlene Dietrich all being a little unlucky in not joining him. Watch out for a young William Shatner (star trek) and a brief cameo from Burgess Meredith (rocky and batman).

Five star entertainment for those into courtroom drama.