Judgement At Nuremberg [DVD]

Three hours of intense courtroom drama. This is a film that could have been worthy but dull. Instead it was a fascinating study of the aftermath of the Second World War with steadily rising tension - even if one could guess at the eventual outcome. This was a film about people, principles and process rather than a verdict. There were some intriguing subplots, such as the subtle relationship between Spencer Tracy (as Judge) and Marlene Dietrich as the embittered widow of a German war hero. The acting was extraordinary by any standard and it would be invidious to pick out the best performance. Burt Lancaster, Spencer Tracy, Maximilian Schell, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland were all simply outstanding. The script was intelligent and avoided all the usual clichees. I felt I was in the courtroom with the accused and everyone else. And I kept asking myself, how would I have stood up under all the pressures of living in Nazi Germany. Was it that easy to rebel against an authoritarian state? The shots of Nuremberg after the allied bombing raids - stark, skeletal, burnt out - were bleak but set the tone and gave the viewer some sympathy for the plight of the average German caught up in the horrors of war. In the end, we were left with the question 'Was it four judges on trial - or the whole of Germany?' and that was something we all had to answer for ourselves. This is a great classic movie. It's in black and white - and probably all the better for that bearing in mind the film was set in the late 1940s. Worthy of all the superlatives that have been applied to it.

I dimly remember seeing this film on TV in the 60's, but nothing could have prepared me for the absolutely riveting story that unfolds here. The performances are nothing short of incredible, the storyline holds you captivated right until the last sentence, (in more ways than one). This is a very atmospheric film, shot with an authenticity and obvious feeling for the story and brings across the thinly disguised embarrassment of the ordinary German people who are made aware of what has been happening in their country, as Richard Widmark's character says, 'if you believe them, no-one knew what was going on'.I cannot recommend this film highly enough, the fact it is a true story just adds to it's poignancy. This is a must see film.

Sadly dated, or do we expect more in the 2000's. In the current age of the documentary, this is a better medium for a presentation of the events at Nuremberg (as opposed to a drama). Is there such a documentary?Spencer Tracy is worthy, the supporting cast supporting, but this is a film of its time (post-war Germany), not necessarily a challenge to the values and behaviours of Nazi Germany, or is it a rationalisation of USA participation in WWII, and how bad the Nazis were.The film is more interesting now in terms of the actors performances, than the awful subject matter of Nuremberg, necessarily prettified in the film.

Liked everything the acting was superb some of the scenes made you sit bolt upright in your seat enthralling from first to last scene highly recommend it

Thought provoking film in which the Judges are judged. It smacks of tokenism to me - so many other people colluded with the Nazis - and where were they? There could never be justice for what happened but they had to be seen to be doing something. Everyone is outraged when it's too late - where are all these morally superior people at the time? Why are they always so quiet? Where are they now? Perhaps we all feel powerless because deep down we know what we are up against.

Great acting, wonderful story. A 'must view' for anyone interested in the end of the Nazi regime.

The dvd was well packaged and turned up quickly. Such a great film and lots of top stars in it, I've seen it on telly but is one I could watch again.

Great film. Arrived 2 days early !! In excellent condition