By Gavin Boyle
NUREMBERG director James Vanderbilt explained why the Nuremberg trials were so important and how his movie captures the essence of holding the Nazis accountable and letting the world know about their atrocities.
“I think one of the reasons the trial was so important, and one of the reasons [Justice Robert H.] Jackson was so adamant he thought if they didn’t do this, people wouldn’t believe it, you know, they wouldn’t actually believe what the Nazis had done” Vanderbilt told Movieguide®. “That there needed to be this reckoning…this material had to be shown.”
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“And I think one of the things that’s so fascinating about it, it was sort of the first modern trial where they literally rebuilt the courtroom to put cameras in it so all of that stuff could be captured…” the director continued. “And also is one of the moments where the first time cinema and film were used to convict people, you know, by showing the films that were shot in the camps. I think without that, a lot of people wouldn’t believe the nature of those atrocities.”
NUREMBERG looks to continue this legacy by exposing a new generation to the Nazi atrocities, while also sharing the history of these trials. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
NUREMBERG is impeccably staged, directed and acted. It tells a gripping drama about exposing the horrific evil that lurks within the human psyche. Also, it concludes that absolute power corrupts absolutely. However, the movie shows disturbing images from the Holocaust that were shown at the trial and helped convict Göring and the others, though not everyone was hanged. NUREMBERG also has 12 obscenities and six strong profanities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong and extreme caution, though NUREMBERG is a superb piece of dramatic entertainment.
While telling the story in such a gripping way, NUREMBERG also looks to bring the humanity into a story that has a mythical aura around it.
“They’re all people. They’re all real people. And I think that’s one of the points of the movie is that these are actual real human beings,” explained Michael Shannon, who plays Justice Jackson. “One of the great things you can do with historical drama is turn people onto that fact. Because when you’re reading about it in some giant textbook or something, it feels undigestible, or you just get tired of it. But, lo and behold, these are actual people and every single character in this movie, despite their circumstances, has a personality. And, dare I say, a sense of humor.”
Though NUREMBERG covers an extremely heavy topic, it is one that is important for all people to know and understand so history does not repeat itself. NUREMBERG hits theaters on Nov. 7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejW4-7UTW5M
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