Nuremberg - Review 

Rating: 4 out of 5

THE Nuremberg trials in the aftermath of the Second World War provide the focus for James Vanderbilt’s compelling drama but his film also stands as a timely reminder of the potential cost of allowing right wing ideology and fascism to rise.

It also, symbolically, shows why genocidal acts of any kind - no matter who causes them - should always be resisted and deplored.

Adapted from Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the film predominantly focuses on the relationship between Hitler’s Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (played by Russell Crowe) and the American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who was charged with determining how fit many of the captured German high command were for trial and - more precisely - how they intended to defend themselves of the war crimes they were accused of.

Simultaneously, it also follows the efforts of Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon) to both set up the court and to prosecute Göring, along with support from British Tory MP David Maxwell-Fyfe (Richard E Grant), who proves crucial in cross-examining the Nazis (although his post-war role in the homophobic persecution of Alan Turing isn’t mentioned).

There’s also an American army translator Howie Triest (Leo Woodall), who has a personal stake in the outcome of the trial… representing the less political, more Everyman view.

As with many films of this nature, there’s a high amount of fictionalised content, particularly in the personal dealings between Göring and Kelley.

But the attention to detail in other areas is high: the courtroom is apparently accurately recreated to the centimetre, while harrowing documentary footage from Nazi Concentration and Prison Camps is actually that which was screened at the trials. It remains a sobering reminder of man’s capacity for inhumanity and pure evil.

As a historical document capable of reaching new audiences it’s important; while providing a relevant reminder of the importance of moral fibre even during some of the darkest chapters in human history. Shannon’s Jackson is unshakeably decent (the actor’s work here is similar to that in the equally relevant Death By Lightning).

But where Nuremberg really comes into its own is the way in which is also transcends its historical context to offer a pertinent commentary on the modern world given the state we currently find ourselves in.

At a time when the politics of division are rife, when right wing ideology and extremist rhetoric is on the rise and dictator-style political posturing can be found in the behaviour of even the so-called ‘good guys’, the ease with which evil can rise is both alarming and a warning shot to us all.

Vanderbilt’s film makes no apologies for doing this (and nor should it) but it doesn’t seek to bludgeon home the point either. Rather, it is telling that its biggest lesson is the one so obviously being overlooked nowadays: that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to make the same mistakes at great cost to their future.

The psychology of power and war is another area the film probes successfully, with Woodall’s Triest a cipher for both the Jewish experience and the immigrant experience, as well as what the Final Solution meant for German Jews. There’s also questions asked of the role governments and countries play in rebuilding ‘enemies’ after wars (which is seen as the mistake that allowed Hitler’s rise), as well as the legacy of America’s decision to revert to nuclear war and the ethics involved - all of which, again, feed into contemporary events.

As you would expect, the film is packed with great performances. Crowe stands out, clearly enjoying the psychological game playing that informs his interplay, while also attempting to blend arrogance with some humanity despite being a monster. But there’s equally strong support from the likes of Shannon (always so reliable), Woodall (particularly late on) and Malek (whose performance is perhaps the showiest and least affecting, while still being notable).

Nuremberg therefore emerges as something of a powerhouse: a historical drama that contains timely lessons; a film that charts a seminal moment in history (one its protagonists vowed never to allow repeat itself), which holds an uncomfortable mirror to the world as we know it today.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 2hrs 28mins