Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The framing may be classic court room narrative, but used for much broader philosophical deep drive into complex themes of societal guilt, bystander effect and self denial. Especially on the denial front, that is really shown as a strong force when faced with the realities of looking the other way.
Every film that goes into the realities of the holocaust is bound to give strong emotional response. The interesting thing here is how it highlights the normalization, the gradual acceptance and ultimately compliance among the general population. It becomes a much more full faceted and ambiguous portrait, than the usual simplified “evil Nazis”.
The film is split between scenes in the courtroom and sort of casual downtime for the judge. Very very different, yet they complement each other and both are necessary for the whole picture to work. The film is mostly people talking, which is kept alive and exciting by exquisite camerawork and great “acting with facial expressions” all around. Subtle shift in realizations for some, stubbornness or denial for others. Little theatrical at times, but a remarkable film.
Rating: 4