BBBB
(out of 5)
Abby Mann adapted his riveting teleplay for the big screen and the results are mostly impressive. Spencer Tracy is excellent as an American judge brought to Nuremberg, Germany after World War II to sit on the international panel of judges who are trying Nazi officers for war crimes. An incredible array of talents from stage and screen are assembled to play the vast assortment of characters, and this will still be a selling point for many who are curious to watch the film. Burt Lancaster stars as an officer on trial, Maximilian Schell is fantastic as a German prosecutor, Montgomery Clift is heartbreaking as a victim of Nazi torture, and Judy Garland stands out as a housewife being questioned for her fraternization with a Jewish storekeeper. Also featuring Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich and a very young William Shatner, the film is powerful and dramatic but suffers under the weight of its excessive length, giving it a sense of self-importance that should come from the material itself, not the way in which it is being presented. For its time, however, it stands as one of the first films to truly show American audiences a factual account of the Nazi Holocaust, including film footage and brutally honest testimonials.
Roxlom Films Inc.
USA, 1961
Directed by Stanley Kramer
Screenplay by Abby Mann, based on his original story
Cinematography by Ernest Laszlo
Produced by Stanley Kramer
Music by Ernest Gold
Production Design by Rudolph Sternad
Costume Design by Joe King
Film Editing by Frederic Knudtson
Academy Awards
Best Actor (Maximilian Schell as “Hans Rolfe”)
Best Writing (Screenplay–based on material from another medium) (Abby Mann)
Nominations
Best Actor (Spencer Tracy as “Judge Dan Haywood”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Maximilian Schell as “Rudolph Petersen”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Judy Garland as “Irene Hoffman”)
Best Art Direction (Black-And-White) (art direction: Rudolph Sternad; set decoration: George Milo)
Best Cinematography (Black-And-White) (Ernest Laszlo)
Best Costume Design (Black-And-White) (Jean Louis)
Best Director (Stanley Kramer)
Best Film Editing (Frederic Knudtson)
Best Motion Picture (Stanley Kramer, producer)
Golden Globe Awards
Best Performance By An Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama (Maximilian Schell)
Best Director (Stanley Kramer)
Nominations
Best Motion Picture-Drama
Best Film Promoting International Understanding
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Montgomery Clift)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Judy Garland)
