Film: "Judgment at Nuremberg"

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that "Judgment at Nuremberg" is remarkable for its willingness to consider the collective guilt of the German people and, even more troubling, of people from other countries. The author points out that the power of this film lies in the complexity with which it represents such issues as responsibility, accountability and guilt in the context of a Hollywood social problem film and within the conventions of courtroom drama. The paper concludes that the film also reflected the events of the early 1960s, at the time "Judgment at Nuremberg" was made, which included the trial of Eichmann in Jerusalem and the enduring injustices in the United States that would become the Civil Rights struggles. The author believes that this film still has implications in the 21st century social, legal and political debates over the treatment of terror suspects in the War on Terror and the extent to which elected representatives should be held accountable.

From the Paper:

"From a theatrical perspective, the casting of prominent Hollywood stars on both sides of this question is significant. It can be cynically said, as critic Pauline Kael quoted in her review, that this film is "an All-Star Concentration Camp Drama" given the number of stars involved. However, the casting of such an "heroic" leading man as Burt Lancaster as a prominent German leader can be read as a theatrical "sign" to the audience from the outset of the drama that "judgment" in this film will be more complex than if the Germans were stereotypical villains."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Doneson, Judith. "Eichmann and Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial in the 1960s." The Holocaust in American Film. New York:Jewish Publication Society, 1987, 87-107.
• Eichmann in Jerusalem Wiki. Wikipedia. Retrieved: January 24, 2007.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichmann_in_Jerusalem
• Kramer, Stanley, dir. Judgment at Nuremberg. MGM, 1961.

More papers on Film: "Judgment at Nuremberg":

• Film Review # 131575 : "Judgment at Nuremberg" - A Film Analysis"
• Film Review # 68916 : "Judgement at Nuremberg"
• Term Paper # 101540 : "Rule Utilitarianism and the State"

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