In May 1945, after the surrender of American forces in Hamburg, Adolf Hitler’s second in command Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) orders the soldiers to get their bags, setting the tone for his dealings with the Allies.
Nuremberg (English)
Director: james vanderbilt
Starring: Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Michael Shannon, Richard E. Grant
Runtime: 148 minutes
Story: At the Nuremberg Trials, an army psychiatrist is brought in to monitor the mental health of the accused Nazi leadership, leading to a battle of wills between the doctor and Hermann Göring.
Runtime: 148 minutes
American Judge Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), with a little help from powerful friends, including a reluctant Vatican, decides to set up an international court involving the governments of Russia, France, Great Britain, and the United States to try “whatever is left of the Nazi high command.” He believes it is important, “This war belongs in court. The world needs to know what these people did so that it doesn’t happen again.”
The choice of location for the trial, Nuremberg, is significant because it was here that the Nuremberg Laws were passed on September 15, 1935, which stripped German Jews of their rights. After several top Nazi leadership commit suicide, army psychiatrist, Douglas Kelly (Rami Malek) is brought in to monitor the mental state of 22 Nazi prisoners.
Kelly and Goring immediately become involved in a fascinating battle of wills. Goring says, “I am a prisoner because we lost and you won, not because you are morally superior.” He is able to take Kelly’s cover when he says, “Just because a man is your ally doesn’t mean he’s on your side.”
Göring’s explanation for following Hitler after hearing him speak only once, because “he made us feel German again,” is extremely simplistic.
Kelly identifies Goring as “highly intelligent, charming and arrogant”. He also observes that far from being particularly monstrous or barbaric, the Nazis are products of their time and there is nothing that can stop them from happening anywhere in the world under similar circumstances and at any time. This is a dire prediction, as we all know from a cursory reading of the headlines around the world.
nuremberg It is inspired by the extraordinary performances of the artists. Malek conveys Kelly’s empathy, ambition and despair through his own eyes, while Crowe portrays Goring as “the face of the Nazi Party”, the Reichsmarshal who signed off on the people’s extermination. He is also a loving father to Ada (Fleur Bremer) and loving husband to Emmy (Lotte Verbeek).
Shannon is the epitome of relentless justice, a man who wants to do the right thing according to his conscience and society. Howie Triest (Leo Woodall), the US Army officer who serves as translator (although Goring pretends not to understand or speak English at first), when he says to Kelly, “You want to know why it happened here? Because people let it happen.”
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John Slattery as Burton C. Andrus, the commandant of Nuremberg Prison, is perfect as a man who wants to get the job done, while Colin Hanks as psychiatrist Gustav Gilbert, who is brought in for a second opinion after questions are raised about Kelly’s impartiality, imbues his character with a desire to do the right thing. Richard E. Grant as David Maxwell Fyfe, one of the prosecuting attorneys at the Nuremberg trials, captivates us with his twinkling eyes.
Based on the 2013 book by Jack El-Haigh, Nazi and psychiatrist, nuremberg The performance is intriguing for Darius Wolski’s vivid frames and its message, which is more current than ever.
Nuremberg is currently playing in theaters
published – November 08, 2025 07:33 PM IST