At the end of World War II, the US and its allies realized they had to deal with the Germans differently than how they had been treated after World War I. Nuremberg is the story of the tribunal that tried the German leaders for crimes against humanity. This tribunal set legal precedents that were later codified into law.
The story is taken from the book, “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist” by Jack El-Hai. US Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon) fought for the tribunal, warning those he spoke with of how the Germans came back from the beating and humiliation forced upon them by the Treaty of Versailles to come too close to taking over the world.
After the 22 German leaders were brought to Nuremberg to stand trial, the Allies brought in psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) to work with the prisoners. His time with these men, especially Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), was a large part of the film. These scenes helped us see more deeply into the minds of men like the Reichsmarschall.
For students of history, this is an excellent film. The tribunal, everything that led up to it, and its effect on the people involved were fascinating. James Vanderbilt, the writer/director, did a great job on the film. The cast, including Crowe, Malek, Shannon, Colin Hanks, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, and many more, was superb.
Just before the credits is a quote we should all take heed of. “The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.” (RG Collingwood)
Take two and a half hours out of your day and go to see this film.
Director: James Vanderbilt
Cast: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Colin Hanks, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, Wrenn Schmidt, Lotte Verbeek, Mark O’Brien, Andreas Pietschmann, Lydia Peckham, Ralph Berkin, Steven Pacey, Dan Cade
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for violent content involving the Holocaust, strong disturbing images, suicide, some language, smoking and brief drug content)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 148 Min.
Release Date: 11/07/2025
Language: English, German
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Movie Site: NUREMBERG Official Site
Trailer: NUREMBERG Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.