Judgment at Nuremberg

Stanley Kramer's star-studded 1961 courtroom drama stars Spencer Tracy as an American judge pressed into service in a 1948 trial of four Germans charged with war crimes. Exploring the bombed-out, post-WWII Nuremberg streets, Dan Haywood (Tracy) struggles to understand the mindset of a civilian population that not only willingly implemented Nazi policies regarding forced sterilization and discrimination, but also now denies any previous knowledge of death camps near their homes. Befriending the aristocratic Mrs. Bertholt (Marlene Dietrich), whose mansion Dan is occupying courtesy of the American military, the judge bumps up against the personal grief of a displaced widow who lost everything in the war except her dignity. Burt Lancaster costars as Janning, a stoic, onetime champion of legal rights whose complicity in a war crime has put him on trial. Richard Widmark is excellent as a U.S. Army prosecutor, as is Maximilian Schell as a defense attorney hobbled by Janning's profound sense of guilt. Judy Garland and Montgomery Clift are also memorable as victims of Nazi atrocities, while William Shatner and Werner Klemperer shine as well. Deftly scripted by Abby Mann, Judgment at Nuremberg remains a classic exploration of moral questions concerning the guilt of ordinary people when their society descends into genocide. Extras include a conversation between Kramer and costar Schell, a tribute to Kramer, and a featurette on Mann's script. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)