If You Can Only Watch One Movie
By Larry Johnson on December 23, 2008 at 10:30 AM in Current Affairs
If you have not seen the movie, Judgment at Nuremberg, then your education is deficient. In terms of content and philosophical depth, I believe this is the greatest movie ever made. It is especially relevant in light of Dick Cheney’s audacious claim that everything they have done under the excuse of fighting terrorism was correct and proper.
Wiki offers a great synopsis of the movie:
The film examines the questions of individual complicity in crimes committed by the state. It does not shy away from difficult issues. For example, defense attorney Hans Rolfe (Schell) raises such thorny issues as the support of a U.S. Supreme Court justice for the practice of eugenics, and Winston Churchill’s words of praise for Adolf Hitler.
One noteworthy scene is the testimony of Rudolph Petersen, a German civilian baker, who, considered mentally incompetent, was sterilized by the Nazis in accordance with their social laws. As played by Montgomery Clift, Petersen’s nervousness about recounting the horrific tale of his past is visible from the start; he shifts and fidgets constantly on the stand and stammers in his speech. The tension is further amplified when he is cross-examined by defense attorney Rolfe, who reveals that Petersen was removed from school for an inability to learn and because his mother was also deemed mentally incompetent.
During the course of the trial, prosecuting attorney Col. Tad Lawson (Richard Widmark) shows the actual historical footage filmed by American soldiers after the liberation of the concentration camps. The footage and its use in a mainstream American film is historically significant. It was one of the first attempts by the American film industry and mass media to expose the American public at large to the full nature and scope of the Nazi atrocities.
The film ends with judge Haywood having to choose between patriotism and justice. He rejects the call to let the Nazi judges off lightly to gain Germany’s support in the cold war against the Soviet Union.[2]
Choosing between patriotism (i.e. the security of the nation) and justice (i.e. morality) is the same argument we are having today in whether or not to excuse torture against terrorist suspects.
So I want you to watch a couple of clips. The first features Burt Lancaster in the role of a famous German Judge, Ernst Janning. Janning was the presiding judge in a case brought against an elderly Jewish man who was friends with a young German girl and falsely accused of sexual relations. Janning found the man guilty and signed off on his execution.
The final clip is Spencer Tracy’s summation. This would be appropriate at the trial of George Bush or Dick Cheney in my view.
Genius. Sheer genius.
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One of the most powerful movies I’ve ever seen. It sounds kind of boring and talky, but it’s fascinating and thought-provoking.
Also, it features some really interesting performances: William Shatner in what may be his only non-cheese log role. Werner Klemperer is definitely NOT Col. Hogan, and Montgomery Clift is heartbreaking as both a character and an actor.
You forgot Judy Garland on the stand…The Back Story/Legend is that she was going through the early stages of the DT”s at the time…the dreaded SHAKES due to Alcohol withdrawal. The production crew kept her mildly dosed so she would not full throttle convulse and could keep her wits about her…but this enhanced her performance…Watch it again…Considering this little known Lore it makes her performance all the more riveting and courageous.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Nuremberg, and I had forgotten about Judy Garland being in it.
I have been thinking a lot lately about The Wizard of Oz having allegorical parallels to the current fantasy flight into Hopey-Changey Land, and I will now be pondering the associations engendered by Judy being in both of these very different movies. Hmmmm . . .
I’ve never seen this movie, but it’s going in my Netflix queue now.
BRAVO Larry…You Rock!
One of the greatest films ever made…imho…
Thanks for recommending this to readers. And—especially— for drawing the historical parallel with current events. One of the lessons of the Nuremberg trials is that failure to identify evil can become complicity in its spread. One way of identifying it is to remind people that it exists, and so does history—whether people who would prefer to ignore it like it or not.
Thank you for recommending this movie.
I have been following this blog for quite some time. It certainly will disappoint most of you to know that I am a Obama supporter -in mind but not in vote, as I am a foreigner. You have not been able to make me change my opinion, but I always find it interesting, necessary and thought provoking to hear other opinions and points of view, which I definitely have found here
I just for once wanted to write a comment, to thank Larry Johnson for his unrelenting opposition to torture and support for human rights and justice. His thoughts, comments and arguments are not relevant only for USA, but anywhere where there is a discussion about how to fight terrorism while upholding our “own” moral standards.
I grew up watching these old movies and believing our country was about the high principles they showcased. I think that is why I have been so naive about this election and why I was so devastated by it.
So, I too want to thank Larry for showcasing this classic. I am still very upset that the MSM is now making fun of the “strange far-left” calls for impeachment hearings for Cheney and Bush. (I’m trying to remember which talking head I heard this from.)
My objections to Obama might have more relationship to the recent airing of Jimmy Stewart’s classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; it was a movie about what the ideal American politician should be in character and behavior. Obama’s political behavior is nothing like what it should have been. He pretends to be the ideal, but he is not. It’s all flashy American Idol.
As Chomsky remarked on the recent post of his comments regarding recent Democratic politics, there IS a reason that Obama did not get the landslide so many thought he would. Follow the money and the marketing, and you’ll see who pulls the strings. It is NOT the common American people who are behind his win.
For the historic first AA President, I would have been so much happier with someone like MLK or Barbara Jordan–someone who accomplished things for others, who could speak and lead without a teleprompter or a Wall Street type marketing macine, and someone who knew that playing the race card was not the way. It would have been someone proud enough of his/her past to make it transparent. It would have been someone who did not have to play sexist politics to overcome a more knowledgeable and accomplished opponent. It would have been about his or her character and not the color of his/her skin.
I loved Barbara Jordan…She was Righteous
Barbara Jordan would have made a fine President.
That’s good to know. I await the arrest of Salon dot com’s leadership , who tortured Christopher Hitchens with waterboarding, then posted the video online, for all to see.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808
Oh, sorry that would be Vanity Fair’s leadership.
It is interestting and it says a lot about the fundamental decency of most american people that numerous posts are now mentionning the possibility and the need for nuremberg like trial against cheney
this man would have happily followed if not lead the nazi goons
He has failed to understand that behaving like our enemies put our own very soul at risk
what is the use, what is the proof of our moral upper ground if we end up like them
he cost thousands of american lives, iraqi lives and come to think of it his failure to understand that the enemy was alqaida and alqaida was in afghanistan and not in iraq has cost the planet so many lives down to the latest explot of mumbai
and all that for what the sake of oil and halliburton
may he rot in hell
all sins will be acountable one way or another. I hope people realize that Bush and Cheney also laid the groundwork for Obama to become President. Had it not been for their incomtence and evil deeds before and during office, the likes of Obama would not be entering there either. Obama supporters are such hypocrites. They are furious and show opposition for what Cheney and Bush have done yet they advocate a candidate embroiled in scandal and hate.
never seen it, I’ll put it in my line up….
What do all of the following have in common?
Japanese soldiers convicted of war crimes in 1947 for water boarding Allied soldiers,
U. S. soldiers court martialed for water boarding suspected insurgents in the Spanish American War,
A U. S. soldier court martialed after a photograpy was released of him supervising the water boarding of a North Vietnamese soldier,
Answer: They all thought they were protecting their fellow soldiers and their country. And they all broke the law.
What do all of the following have in common?
Japanese soldiers convicted of war crimes in 1947 for water boarding Allied soldiers,
U. S. soldiers court martialed for water boarding suspected insurgents in the Spanish American War,
A U. S. soldier court martialed after a photograph was released of him supervising the water boarding of a North Vietnamese soldier,
Answer: They all thought they were protecting their fellow soldiers and their country. And they all broke the law.
One of my all-time favorite movies.
It’s thought-provoking and well worth watching. It was made in a time before quick cut editing and snappy dialogue plagued movie goers with ADD.
Yes it is a great movie and worthy of all to watch. I am not at all supportive of the charge that Pres. Bush and VP Chaney have under any circumstances and by any measure done anything that would warrent charges or investigations of their actions while in office.
You all understand that while many have attempted to accuse them, including the ACLU, of wrong doing, but no one has offered any credible evidence of breaking any law or violating any sacred oath.
OK sorry to bust your bubble Steve
President Bush signed an executive order allowing the minimum humane standards of the treatment of prisoners under the Geneva Convention act only as an “interpretive guide”. I believes this comes under “High crimes” and Misdemeanors” along with the hanky panky of the “yellow cake” and aluminum tubes” story concocted to tell the American people that Hussein was a credible threat.
http://www.democrats.com/senate-armed-services-committee-report-on-torture
Presidential Order Opens the Door to Considering Aggressive Techniques
On February 7, 2002, President Bush signed a memorandum stating that the Third Geneva Convention did not apply to the conflict with al Qaeda and concluding that Taliban detainees were not entitled to prisoner of war status or the legal protections afforded by the Third Geneva Convention. The President’s order closed off application of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which would have afforded minimum standards for humane treatment, to al Qaeda or Taliban detainees. While the President’s order stated that, as “a matter of policy, the United States Armed Forces shall continue to treat detainees humanely and, to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of the Geneva Conventions,” the decision to replace well established military doctrine, i.e., legal compliance with the Geneva Conventions, with a policy subject to interpretation, impacted the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody.
Well the Talaban and AL Quada do not meet the definition of enemy combatants under the Geneva Convention so Pres Bush was stating the obvious. Where is the high crime or misdomeanor?
Steve,
There was also the “outing” of Valerie Plame – a secret non -officail cover (NOC) CIA agent and thus the destrution the their front company that was created soley for the purpose of stopping non-proliferation.
That is the HIGH CRIME call Treason!
well if Valerie had been outed the US Attorney would have prosecuted Richard Armatige as he was the one who provided the info to Robert Novak, Fitzpatrick know that at the outset of his investigation. Fitz also know there was no violation of the law.
So tell me about hight crimes and misdomeanors let alone Treason, which is advocaeting the violent overthrough of the government.
SteveinVA, Cheney on National TV stated that
1) “anything the POTUS does during wartime is legal” that comment was made in reference to waterboarding, which the United States by law and treaty is a violation of our laws.
2) This president and vice president are of the belief they are above the law by thier own actions and words.
3) It’s hard to see where they have upheld thier sworn oath to “protect and defend the constitution” when according to Bush the “US Constitution is just a god damn piece of paper”.
good luck with defending them.
I believe you are taking his comment out of context or confusing it with the Frost/Nixon movie.
evidence of breaking any law or violating any sacred oath.
???
If by “his comments” you mean Vice President Cheney, I saw it from his own mouth when he said it! In fact he has on more than one occasion, admitted on national TV, as has Bush, he has no regard for the law and admittedly broke the law. In the same breath, Cheney dared anyone to prosecute him for his lawlessness.
That is what motivates Bush Cheney in your view?
I watched the interviews with David Frost and Nixon when they occured, I watched him resign after being woken up at 3:00 am in London…
A movie? More like a syndicated re-run.
Steve, what planet are you living on?
Agree that it is a great, thought provoking movie. Never miss an opportunity to watch it when I know it is being shown.
Doubt that many today would really understand the significance of what is being questioned in the movie. Today we seem far more interested in public opinion deciding what is right and what is wrong, not the law. It almost appears that our courts shake in fear of having to make difficult decisions and instead dismiss cases due to “not having standing” before the court; i.e., witness the recent cases regarding Obama’s birth certificate. Almost appears that the Supreme Court is afraid to take up the case for fear it might have to make a decision interpreting the law which might upset some large faction of the public. I have to admit that I am one who does question whether Obama meets the qualifications of “natural born” but then heck, I am not an attorney or a judge and can only read the words as written and interpret them as to what my understanding of words is. In this matter I sure wish the court would explain what “natural born” means so I would understand it in the future. Sort like the issue of torture, I thought that I understood what it meant from the Geneva Convention but again seems to be a reluctance for our courts to take a stand one way or the other. Unfortunately we are not only governed by the most popular politicians (get the most votes), we are more and more IMHO being subjected to law based upon what is the most popular, or least contentious interpretation of that law.
“Judgement at Nuremburg” is indeed a great movie. I cannot, however, equate the actions of the Bush administration in its counterterrorist efforts with the actions of Hitler’s regime in trying to wipe Jews off of the face of the earth in either scope or profundity.
That is not to say that I agree with the Bush administration. As I have often said on these pages, torture should be rejected simply because it is immoral, period. Whether it “works” or not is irrelevant.
In my opinion, “Judgement at Nuremburg” should be watched in tandem with another fine movie, Frank Pierson’s “Conspiracy,” which stars Kenneth Brannaugh as Reinhard Heydrich. “Conspiracy” is based on actual transcripts of a conference in Berlin during which the methodology/technology, logistics, and schedule for eliminating all Jews from Europe was planned in detail by Nazi representatives from all branches of government. This, my friends, was a conspiracy so staggaring that it almost defies comprehension. The Bush/Cheney effort, while undoubtedly immoral and unquestionably resulting in considerable injustice, is almost vapid by comparison.
Retired, that is SO wrong. A civilized nation can NEVER endorse torture. There are not degrees of torture. Every human being has an inherent right to be treated wuth dignity and respect IF we are to be a nation of law.
The Bush administration violated the Geneva Conventions and should be brought to justice for those violations as well as for violating the basic premises upon which the United States of America is based.
I guess perhaps you didn’t read what I wrote. Let me say it again: “As I have often said on these pages, torture should be rejected simply because it is immoral, period. Whether it “works” or not is irrelevant.”
I’m not quite sure how that supports torture. It doesn’t.
What I object to is comparing the Bush administration’s actions, either in scope or profundity, to what the Nazis did in World War II to Europe’s Jewish population. Just because the Bush administration’s moral outrages are more recent doesn’t make them equal to what the Nazis did. It also doesn’t make them right.
I heartily suggest that you check your visceral hatred of anything Bush at the door and study history a bit more closely before you automatically try to equate this administration with the some of the most profoundly evil incarnations in human history. Bush is a bad guy, no doubt about it. But as someone who successfully integrated evil throughout a society, he is a piker. The mere fact that we are openly discussing this on a website without fear of punishment serves as proof of this.
You’re right, Bush is not Hitler. But when we start acting like him, albeit on a much smaller scale, it alarms me. The willingness of so many Americans to countenance torture, for example, is the kind of mindset that Hitler mined so effectively in whipping up public support to go after the Jews.
As always I deeply appreciate your insights and observations.
The Bush/Cheney effort, while undoubtedly immoral and unquestionably resulting in considerable injustice, is almost vapid by comparison.
Retired, that is just moral arithemetic. The size and scope of the wrong does not make it less vapid. If Bush’s evil is ignored it could easily escalate in scope.
If some Americans had not spoken out against Bush’s actions I think he would have gone further.
The only saving grace for America is that there were and are some who spoke out on this injustice.
What bothers me about this period in America is that there were not MORE who spoke out.
The beginning of the end of torture was supposed to have been during The Enlightenment. The Spanish Inquisition used to call water torture, “la tormata toca” and following then till now, we have had a steady increase in the quantitative value of human life. We have made great strides to live in a civilized world that isn’t ruled by passions of revenge or tyranny.
Now to the movie and to tie that in, the Point of a movie that Larry has just recommended (again actually) is that we as a nation have allowed our representatives and elected officials do so many things that are egregious actions in the name of our “security” and we have become GOOD GERMANS.
In Nuremburg we found that the architects are as guilty as the soldiers who commit war crimes when they create an environment of unacceptable, in fact criminal, actions as the norm.
This dead fish rotted from the top down. This wasnt a few bad apples. This was 5 time deferment coward Dick Cheney and Dr. Strangelove Donald Rumsfeld, aka Mr. Known Unknown Knowns….and their blowhard macho crap. Neither has a strategic bone in their body outside of political vengeance and their own arrogance.
But the apparatus extended beyond them through their sycophantic legion of Doug Feiths, Ari Fleischers, Dan Bartletts, etc. The whole body was corrupt.
And from there we have our co-dependent Branch called Congress who allowed it to happen, save a few members like Robert Wexler and mighty mite Kucinich, few have stood up to this gaggle of thieves and liars.
The only difference I see between these murdering liars is that it happened to Iraqis, Afghanis and surrounding Arabs instead of Jews and the component wasn’t blatantly stated as a “cleaning” as Eichmann proposed. For the rest though, the Good German behavior of Americans..yep, the twisted logic of “war on terror” and invading Iraq…yep…(my czech folks don’t much appreciate what happened in 1939 in the Hitler’s war on terror)…and the corporate involvement of launching war, maintaining war, and promoting more war, yes, the ties are too similar to me.
My first exposure to this history was through William Shrirer’s book Rise and Fall of Third Reich. And the only thing I’ve been most concerned with hasn’t been the rise of another Hitler, but the rise of Good Germans.
At the beginning of this administration, just after 9/11, I was in a conversation with Grandpa Al Lewis, and he was discussing this in those terms, The Good Germans. And I’ve insisted on not being one from that point on.
We should have full accountability or forget having a worthy democracy. I don’t care how tired you might be of hearing about Bush or Cheney, these sorry bastards need to be in prison for torture, wiretapping, outing Valerie Plame and her related operatives and operations, for ruining our reputation in the world via Abu Ghraib, no WMD, threats of nuke attacks, and potentially depending on the facts…the greatest theft in history with these bailouts.
If I’m to be a loyal subject of this country, then I cannot be a loyal subject of her president and her vice president. If I’m to be a loyal citizen to my community, then I cannot just be quiet when an injustice goes on unanswered.
Have a good Christmas and New Year, but don’t forget to hold Dick Cheney and Co. completely accountable. Remain vigilant into the new year as this progresses and make sure that your Representatives and Senators are doing their job of Representing YOU.
Saludo
I wrote my reply to Retired before I saw Larry’s and truthtelling007’s replies. They both did a far better job in replying.
truthtelling007’s Good German reference is spot on.
“At the beginning of this administration, just after 9/11, I was in a conversation with Grandpa Al Lewis, and he was discussing this in those terms, The Good Germans. And I’ve insisted on not being one from that point on.”
This is one of history’s most important lessons. Each and every one of us has to guard against it. I saw “Judgement at Nuremburg” when I was a junior or senior in high school, 40+ tears ago. It made a huge impression. And the lesson I took from it is to always be vigilant and guard against that moral relativism that led to “Good Germans.”
Seven years after their convictions, all the judges were out of jail and enjoying their bratwurst, which leads one to a sad conclusion. It is probably easier to convict a bratwurst of high crimes than it would be to convict George Bush of anything. Get over it.
Robert, see my post above. It applies to you as well. For shame!!!!!
President Bush admitted during an ABC interview that he authorized water boarding. The United States of America was one of the main authors and signers of the Geneva Conventions prohibiting the same.
If we torture then we are no better than those who use torture against us or others.
America, we like to think, is better than that. When torture becomes a part of our culture and acceptable to us how can we call ourselves a Christian nation?
Jesus was tortured to death by crucifixion. Think He would approve?
i loved the movie. tracy is just wonderful in it. as far as legal movies go this one and INHERIT THE WIND are both big time favorites. geez, how can i forget TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD! they speak about the america i love and not this crap i see today.
Our torturers have already been immunized by the Mitary Commissions Act of 2006. It makes applicable to U.S. personnel accused of violating Common Article 3 between September 11, 2001 and December 30, 2005, a defense established by the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (DTA), which was enacted on the latter date. Such personnel may escape criminal conviction for waterboarding and like practices if they believed in good faith that what they were doing was lawful. The relevant provision of the DTA in turn makes reliance on memos of the sort produced by the Justice Department “an important factor” in determining knowledge and good faith.
I do believe robbing a bank is legal, I do believe robbing a bank is legal…
I hadn’t thought of this film in ages. If films were being made like this in the present we would all be better off. Much better off.
Where is Hollywood when we need them?
This film and To Kill a Mockingbird and Inherit the Wind.
Nothing can excuse what was done, Larry.
Nothing. They will have to live with what they did.
One more film to know — Johnny Got His Gun.
I submit interplay more relevantly frames the debate. Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.
I just watched this last year. It is a very powerful movie. I didn’t know that about Judy Garland however. Another tidbit is to recall that Chris Dodd’s father was one of the prosecutors.
Steve,
There was also the “outing” of Valerie Plame – a secret non -officail cover (NOC) CIA agent and thus the destrution the their front company that was created soley for the purpose of stopping non-proliferation.
That is the HIGH CRIME called Treason!
As I comment above she was note outed because she was no longer covered under that provision of the law. If she had been Armatige would have been prosecuted.
Ok, I will look it up to see if it is on Netflix and I’ll add it.