Saturday, April 27, 2013

Stanley Kramer: Judgment at Nuremberg (Take I)


Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) is so sharp and engaging I was astonished on first run-through. This film explores still completely pertinent questions about freedom and responsibility (individual and collective), loyalty and dissidence, laws and justice. The cast is stellar, including: Spencer Tracy, Maximilian Schell (who won an Oscar for his performance), William Shatner, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Widmark, Montogmery Clift, Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland. Stanley Kramer (On the Beach, Inherit the Wind, Ship of Fools, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) focuses on intense dialogue, but his use of backdrops, settings and historical context is also effective. Very impressive work and not in the least a drag, as some might suspect.  



Today's Rune: Signals.   

1 comment:

the walking man said...

How old do you suppose Spencer Tracey was when he became a true "A" list actor. I really do like him as an older looking guy.