Roger Moore Movie:

Editorial Review:
The trial of Nazi war criminals following the Allied victory in Europe in World War II is dramatized in this uneven TV movie starring Alec Baldwin as Robert Jackson, a U.S. Supreme Court justice who served as the chief prosecutor for the Allies. The gravity of the controversial concept of having a war crimes trial, and the political maneuvering between Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union that made it possible, is explained fairly well in the early portions of the film, even if Baldwin at times delivers lines that seem to have been lifted from a high school history textbook. Scenes of Nazi officers being rounded up and jailed are evocative, as are scenes of a ruined Germany. But a subplot involving Baldwin's character having an extramarital affair with his secretary, played by Jill Hennessy, seems utterly extraneous. Perhaps the intent was to show that even someone taking a moral stand on a global stage can be flawed, but Baldwin's Supreme Court justice faces no consequences from his infidelity. Baldwin dominates the courtroom scenes as the outraged prosecutor, while Hennessy has little to do beyond looking great in her 1940s wardrobe. And as the film progresses the brilliant performance of Brian Cox as Hermann Goering simply seizes all attention, as Hitler's deputy is uncannily portrayed as a brilliant manipulator to the very end. Nuremberg is consistently interesting, and to its credit it does contain much serious material on the Nazi war crimes, but it is in the end a flawed production. --Robert J. McNamara

Nuremberg Reviews:
Nuremberg
2009-11-18 - I use this film with my English 12 classes after we have read Elie Wiesel's memoir Night. This movie is great. The acting is superb and the story needs to be told.

A thinly disguised anti-Nazi film.
2008-11-11 - Don't get me wrong. I hold the Nazis in the poorest of esteem. They were a blight on humanity. But, that in itself is a problem with this film.

The unadulterated racism of the Nazis isn't really expressed here. For an historical document on that regime this is inexcusable. What we get is a highly entertaining show on the villainy of the Nazi leaders on trial and the moral rightness of those who are judging them. For a pursuit of the average viewer perhaps this is sufficient. But, as a student of history I recognize that the problems don't boil down to such a simplicity. There is no mention of just what made Hitler's rise to power actually happen. Hitler himself is treated as unapproachable on every level. Not that I am interested in his ideas, but seriously how does one have an indepth look at the true twist on humanity that Hitler was without a look into the actual substance of his beliefs?

Moreover, how do we connect that with the Nuremberg trial? You see, the greatest problem with this film is the inexcusable lack of connection with the regimes ultimate leader: Hitler himself.

Instead we are left with Goering, separated from Hitler altogether.

Perhaps the goal of this film should not have been to understand the tyrant, but I fail to understand how we can understand the minds of his followers here without a depth of the connection to the man himself.

Ok, end of rant.

On a basic level this film introduces us to some of Hitler's mightiest henchmen in their day of reckoning. The timing, the setting, the symbolism all collide to overwhelm the Nazi concept. The result is that the Nazis cannot have been anything but simply evil men in power who destroyed anyone they believed were "undesirable."

There are some really good things about this film. The pomposity of Goering is fully on display in actor Brian Cox. With his script he performs superbly, finding a gift with his role that is lacking in most of the other major players.

The depiction of war torn Nuremberg is also quite fascinating, giving a feel for the actual conditions of Germany post WWII.

The problem I have, though, is one I will always have with anti-Nazi films. They always defer reality and do not demonstrate the Nazi experience in such a way that it can be understood in reality by people. Just why were they so perverted in their thoughts? How did they become a nation of killers? Hitler tapped into something more primal that simple nationalism. He appealed to the worst instincts in a people who were already prejudiced against the "subhuman."

So, a lot of important information about the Nazis must be presumed when going into this film, or ignored altogether. The clash of morals is left without substance as a result. And, that's why I give this film only 3 stars. It is a powerful introduction to the history of the Nazis, and I recommend it for anyone over the age of 15. But, it is far too light and far too removed from the actual realities of Nazi Germany to be a serious testament on that particular history.

effective, historically accurate production
2008-05-05 - As a Holocaust educator, I found "Nuremberg" an accurate and compelling look at the pre-trial events and the trial itself. Knowing the accuracy of the movie makes it quite worthwhile. Another bonus is the fact the actors that portray the Nazi defendants look almost like their real life photos. And, just to view it as an interesting story, one would find it entertaining as well.

Excellent flick
2007-08-30 - I've watched this movie several times. I can't speak completely to the accuracy of all the details since I haven't studied that trial, but the producers, director, actors, etc seems to have done a great job of taking a VERY complicated subject and reducing it to its basic themes within a couple of hours. Baldwin, the guy playing Goering, and Christopher Plummer (as an elder statesman/barrister) are great.
Would have been interesting to see more focus on the more obscure Nazi leadership, but thats probably unrealistic in a film like this. So the focus tends to be on Goering and Albert Speer. The settings are realistic and proper attention was paid to uniforms and background fixtures. Also, the courtroom scenes where film footage of concentration camps is played for the court reminds that the trial is a true story about a real tragedy...
I usually don't care for "lawyer movies" but this one is exceptional in my opinion.

Great Mini-Series = Great Movie
2006-08-22 - Better than I expected, this is (for my money) TNT's best ever production. It worked as a mini-series. As a movie, it is LONG (over three hrs) and absorbing. If you like great courtroom drama, here it is. Brian Cox is fantastic as Goering. The rest of the cast -- esp. those portraying the Nazi war criminals -- shine like stars.