Nuremberg

This film was incredibly good. The soundtrack was spectacular, in the cinema you could just FEEL the historic weight of the events the film centers around. The pacing was also perfect, for a historic drama, its 140 minutes felt incredibly short. The cast and the acting was great as well. But most importantly, the deeper meaning and the messages of the film are just so important, and were delivered spectacularly. You just walk out with a pit in your stomach.

I still had some minor problems with the film, for example that it has some of the classic Hollywood US-centrism. I appreciate that the film was based mainly on a book, focusing on the relationship between the american psychiatrist and Göring, but I would have loved some more focus on other important figures. We didn't hear one single word from a russian or french judge or prosecutor for example. Some moments also felt a bit too unrealistic or theatrical for me, Jacksons meeting with the pope comes to mind, or the role and treatment of the psychiatrist in some parts. Also, it would have been great if Görings actor could have been german, but Russell Crowe makes up for it with an incredible performance, so I'll let that one go.

All in all the positives far outweigh the negatives for me though. A highly important, thought-provoking and entertaining film.

7.7/10 (Recommend)

First reaction is that this movie deserves to be commended on more than saying the acting was good, the story was heavy, and the pacing was decent. All three of these things ring true, but it was also more than that. It was thought provoking in its humanity, morality, and legality.

So here is my checklist of this film:

• The acting was good, but I don't think any of it was award winning. The variety of actors chosen for each role made everything feel genuine for the era. Most impressive was Russell Crowe actually speaking German. I assumed it would be him speaking English the entire time, but with a German accent. Beyond the acting feeling authentic the sets felt real too. There wasn't just a ton of close-up shots trying to convince you that you were in war torn Germany. They gave you brief avenues to truly see.

• The story was heavy. You know why they're in Nuremberg, and you know the atrocities that took place. But you know when you don't hear a single crunching of popcorn or rustling of snacks, and there's a collective holding of breath, then you know the director has reeled you in. (Humanity) Emotionally it was more pain and hurt seeing the atrocities and not just tear jerking.

• The pacing was good. Despite its 2.5 hour runtime, the pacing was enjoyable. There's very few moments of down time. I would recommend not going to see the film if you've either been sitting all day, or are tired, or both. I was restless throughout because of both of those things.

• The legality and morality of Nuremberg was not something I ever really considered before. These trials were unprecedented and so the cases had to be built from the ground up. It only shows a partiality of this, but it goes just deep enough to give you a sense.

Overall, this is a movie I'd recommend seeing in theatres. The sound quality is spectacular and the visuals are great on the big screen. This isn't an award winning film by any stretch of the imagination, but it does its job well enough to say "these were some of the first men to be tried in Nuremberg. We try to humanize them, but in the end they are evil." It might be long for some, but for others it's good entertainment and possibly the beginning of a knowledge quest.

That's it for now. Thanks for taking time to read my review. Happy watching and enjoy the show!

I saw this film at the AFI Film Fest in Hollywood. I was not aware of the psychiatrist's (Rami Malek) involvement with Goering (Russell Crowe) before and during the trial, and that was some of the best parts of the movie. Also interesting was the part that Sgt. Howie Triest (Leo Woodhall) played during the trial - I had not heard of his story before, and I have read and studied a lot about WWII. Russell Crowe is brilliant as Goering and Malek is very good but not perfect. Now for some of the issues I have the film. The portrayal of Goering on the witness stand was very good, but it was not accurate - the movie implies that it was all in one day and it was not. Also, I did not like Slattery's over the top performance as the warden of the prison. Michael Shannon's performance as Justice Jackson was adequate but not compelling or accurate. There are some other minor inaccuracies that cause me to delete a couple of points from an otherwise excellent film, but I definitely recommend it for fans of fine drama.

Probably the best new movie I have seen in a very long time. Great performances and interesting plotlines. The "cat and mouse" relationship between Malek and Crowe is ever changing and complex. Very timeless story of the ascent of evil rings very true today. Much different than Judgment at Nuremberg, and maybe not as good, but still a must see movie.

One of the best films I've seen in years, and I've seen many. Great performances across the board! I loved it! I simply couldn't stop watching! This one has awards written all over it. Malek, Crowe, and Shannon were amazing! I am so glad I went to the theater to see this film. People should not forget history.