NUREMBERG recounts the events leading up to the first of the twelve Nuremberg trials held by the Allies against the Nazi party. Many film buffs will be familiar with these trials thanks to Stanley Kramer's film JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, which takes place during the third trial, known as the Judges' Trial.
Based on Jack El-Hai's book THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST, James Vanderbilt's new film is unique because it focuses on the important role played by Dr. Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) in the trials, a figure who has been largely omitted from cinematic portrayals until now. Interestingly, the 1990 Emmy-winning television miniseries, also titled NUREMBERG, about the Göring case, only features psychologist Gustave Gilbert, the professional the army hired after Kelley (played by Colin Hanks in Vanderbilt's film).
Director: James Vanderbilt
Writers: James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai
Stars: Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Rami Malek
It's the end of World War II, and Reichsminister Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) surrenders to a U.S. Army division. The army summons Dr. Douglas Kelley to Nuremberg to assess the mental health of 22 patients, Göring being the most prominent. He seems willing to cooperate, as this could help him fulfill his personal ambition of publishing a significant work, but as his relationship with Göring and the other prisoners deepens, the line between patient, prisoner, and colleague begins to blur. Fascinated by the opportunity to study these compelling and morally questionable men, Kelley's loyalty to his country is put to the test. Crowe embodies the charm and power that Göring wielded over his colleagues. The mutual understanding that slowly develops between Kelley and Göring prompts us to consider a question: can empathy cloud judgment in the pursuit of understanding evil?
Vanderbilt's adapted screenplay presents the story more as a thriller than a history lesson. We meet Kelley as he travels by train to the film's titular city, entertaining an attractive fellow passenger with card tricks. Rami Malek brings an arrogant, stoic energy to the role, reminiscent of his breakout performance as Elliot Alderson in MR. ROBOT. We see Kelley as a resourceful man, always on the move and highly capable of performing under pressure. Early in the film, Göring suffers a heart attack. It is Kelley, not the prison doctor, who arrives first and helps the Commander through the crisis. Besides the prisoners, Kelley also strikes up a camaraderie with the prison translator, Sergeant Howie Trist (Leo Woodall), who becomes a valuable collaborator and confidant when the situation demands it. The decision to narrate these events with suspense helps keep viewers engaged.
While Kelley does his best to get the prisoners ready for trial, the other half of the cast works to build a solid legal case where none exists. Until this point, there was no mechanism for prosecuting other countries for their treatment of their own citizens. The odds are stacked against this team, comprised of Judge Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon), Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe (Richard E. Grant), Colonel John Amen (Mark O'Brien), and Elsie Douglas (Wrenn Schmidt). This part of the story proves less interesting compared to Kelley's narrative. They don't have much to do besides recreate conversations that might have taken place in a boardroom. Things get a little more interesting when Jackson visits the Pope to get his blessing for the trials. The Pope refuses until Jackson confronts him about the Church signing a treaty with the Nazi party in 1933.
Viewers primarily expecting a courtroom drama may be disappointed to find that almost half the film takes place before the trial even begins. Inevitably, the two storylines converge during the trials, when Dr. Kelley's work contributes to securing a guilty verdict. This convergence is marked by a crucial scene in which Kelley and Jackson meet in person for the first time. Jackson arranges their encounter at the very location where the Nuremberg Laws were first announced, hoping that this sensory experience will impress upon Kelley the significance of the moment.
History buffs will appreciate the work of the production design team in recreating the numerous locations visited throughout the film, including Camp Ashcan, the hotel converted into an interrogation center, the Nuremberg courtroom, and the Zeppelinfeld parade grounds. Throughout the film, the color shifts to black and white to indicate that we are seeing actual historical footage.
When the horrors of the concentration camps and the Final Solution came to light, the world at large wanted to believe that such a level of depravity could only occur elsewhere. The contempt for the German people led everyone to ask, "How could they have allowed this to happen?" Göring is quick to point out that other countries are equally guilty of atrocious crimes. What makes the Nazi version worse? These questions of national guilt are addressed superficially, opting for the safer path of mere historical narration. NUREMBERG is destined to be just one of many films on the subject, but perhaps it will inspire viewers to learn more about these events and to watch other adaptations of the Nuremberg Trials.
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