"Nuremberg" (2000) TV mini-series

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers (WGA):

Joseph E. Persico (book)
David W. Rintels (teleplay)

Release Date:

16 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

The dramatized account of the war crime trials following the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Courtroom | War Crime | War Crimes Trial | Execution

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Justice Robert H. Jackson
Brian Cox	...	Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring
Christopher Plummer	...	Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe
Jill Hennessy	...	Elsie Douglas
Christopher Heyerdahl	...	Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Roger Dunn	...	Col. Robert Storey
David McIlwraith	...	Col. John Harlan Amen
Christopher Shyer	...	Gen. Telford Taylor
Hrothgar Mathews	...	Thomas J. Dodd
Herbert Knaup	...	Albert Speer
Frank Moore	...	Hans Frank
Frank Fontaine	...	Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel
Raymond Cloutier	...	Großadmiral Karl Dönitz
Bill Corday	...	Generaloberst Alfred Jodl
Ken Kramer	...	Fritz Sauckel

Runtime:

180 min | Canada:140 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

In reality Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe was, at 46, a few years younger than Robert Jackson (53), rather than as seen here, a considerably older mentor figure.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The leading Nazis sentenced to death at Nuremberg were all executed during the night of 16th October in the prison gymnasium. Yet bright sunlight is clearly seen shining through the upper windows of the building as the condemned men are each brought to the gallows.

Quotes:

Ernst Kaltenbrunner: They always feed you well before they hang you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool (2001)

Soundtrack:

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Well made, historically accurate

The primary complaint about this will probably be "it's too long". The actual Nuremburg trils went on for much longer than three hours, however, so imagine how much had to be left out!

Brian Cox is brilliant as Hermann Goering, portraying him as the vain and egotistical, yet clever and often easily likable person he could be, despite his history as one of the most horrible people of all time. Nuremburg goes beyond showing him as the faceless Nazi monster; as a proud soldier and pilot (he was head of the Luftwaffe during WW2, and in WW1, had been a decorated pilot himself), and a man capable of humor and kindness. Particularly powerful scenes include one towards the beginning when he entertains a group of GI's by playing the accordion and singing, and another towards the end, when his wife asks him if she can take home some of the food that had been provided for what would probably be his last meal, and he very "normally" says, "I don't see why not," and looks for someone to ask. The last scene must be viewed to fully understand what I mean.

The movie seems to have been made with historical correctness in mind. Small bits of fact that never would have been included in a big budget hollywood picture make it here, like the scene in which the defendants give their pleas, and Goering attempts to make a statement but is cut off by the judge. Also historically correct is the way in which Goering initially made the prosecutors, representing the allied forces, look like idiots, while he endeared himself to everyone in the room with his witty remarks.

The friendship between Goering and the American soldier "Tex" is also completely true, and the movie insinuates one of the two most popular explanations for how Goering got the cyanide ampule into his cell, despite the fact that it and he were searched regularly. Nuremburg seems to say that Goering asked his friend to retrieve a bag of personal items for him to go through and give away. The other belief is that the American knowingly brought the ampule to Goering, rather than Goering tricking him. The reality will probably never be completely known.

For history buffs, this is a must see. Probably for everyone else too...