Nuremberg
Back when I started my “Fascism in Cinema” series in February 2025, my guest- Jason from Binge Movies- brought up a book written a decade after the end of WWII called, They Thought They Were Free. It was written by an American professor who went to a small town in Germany, and interviewed 10 former Nazis. It’s a sobering look at the ways in which the Nazi ideology spread through messaging intended to get to the anxieties of the people, but the part that was most disheartening about it was how- even a decade later- they still held on to that ideology (even the most antisemitic parts of it that led to the Holocaust). In his latest film, writer-director James Vanderbilt shows how- even in the face of certain death- the Nazi ethos was impossible to remove oneself from.
Vanderbilt has chosen a book by Jack El-Hai for his way into this complicated idea. The evil of the Nazis is not complicated, but the ways in which human beings held on to it is. In El-Hai’s book, we get the story of psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), a military doctor who was brought in to find out if the initial round of Nazi officers whom were going to stand trial at Nuremberg were fit to stand trial. His primary patient is Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), the highest ranking member of the part who is still alive. The film begins as Göring surrenders himself to the Allied armies. In their sessions together, Kelley comes to understand him as a narcissist who will not admit to having done anything wrong. Kelley also becomes friendly with him, which has the military leaders- namely,
Colonel Burton C. Andrus (John Slattery)- not entirely trusting his judgement. But Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon) may have to in order to do what he needs to do to convict Göring.
Prior to the trials- and especially, before we get deep into the relationship between Kelley and Göring- the film shows how Jackson- who had aspirations of being Chief Justice- had to convince leaders around the world that what he intended to do was necessary, and could stand on legal footing. That, in and of itself, would make a compelling film, one that I think Vanderbilt- as a writer at least (having done the script for “Zodiac”)- would turn into a fascinating look at building a legal system from scratch. This is where Shannon, in particular, shines, as well as his inevitable showdown with Göring. But much of the film is focused on Kelley and Göring, so its more Malek and Crowe’s film. This is a terrific performance by Malek, as he’s asked to balance professional curiosity with an friendly nature as he befriends Göring as a way of getting to know him. Crowe is all bluster as the Nazi commander, but in his most vulnerable moments with Malek and on the stand, he gets to a humanity that we do not usually associate with the Nazis, such as a result of their evil ways.
Vanderbilt’s film is well put together, but inevitably follows very familiar terrain in terms of structure. This is, ultimately, a courtroom drama, and the centerpiece moment is when Göring is on the stand. That being said, it was compelling, and also has an interesting supporting performance by
Leo Woodall as Sgt. Howie Triest, who is Kelley’s military guide. The film ends with Kelley disgraced, having written his book, as he tries to make people understand that the next Nazis might not be as easy to spot visually. More people should have listened.
