‘Nuremberg’: Flawed yet essential

Written and directed by James Vanderbilt, this chronicle of the events leading up to the Nuremberg Trials is relevant in today’s skewed polity, where fascist powers have been gathering force across the globe.

For the uninitiated, the Nuremberg Trials were international tribunals conducted by the Allied powers to prosecute leading members of Nazi Germany for their crimes during the Second World War.

The script by Vanderbilt, based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book ‘The Nazi and the Psychiatrist’, focuses on the post-war moral and ethical dilemma an American psychiatrist faces while determining whether Nazi prisoners are fit to go on trial for the war crimes.

Unlike Stanley Kramer’s chilling 1961 classic ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’, this film is not focused on the trials. It is largely a psychological drama.

After Hitler’s death in 1945, the war slows down and Hermann Goring (Crowe), the highest-ranking German military official, is arrested and thrown into a secret military prison, along with other Nazi officers.

US Supreme Court Justice Robert H Jackson’s (Shannon) idea of conducting a trial takes shape; in the meantime, psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Malek) is dispatched to get into the minds of prisoners before they are tried.

As the film is largely told from the perspective of Dr Kelley, there is not much room for courtroom exchanges.

Kelley’s idea is to gather material for a book — one that will help everyone “dissect evil”. His enforced closeness with Goring causes them to develop a bond of sorts and this puts him at cross-purposes with Jackson, and eventually underlines his findings that there’s nothing inherently different about evil men.

The interpersonal developments are initially interesting. As the two chatter and bicker, while Jackson and team assemble a case, the film begins to lose purchase. Once Kelley gets cosy with Goring’s kids, we wonder about his true motive.

The narrative gets muddled in the attempt to turn Kelley’s battle with Goring more complex.

With the characterisations ever so skewed, it becomes hard to take sides. In trying to increase the grey areas, the script loses potency. Snappy dialogues and unnecessary chatter puncture the intensity of this engagement.

The characters may have shades of grey but they are not so easy to discern. Malek is committed to the role of Kelley and makes him look earnest.

Shannon’s performance is sure to garner plaudits. Crowe is outstanding as Hermann Goring and is probably set to trigger the award buzz too. Goring’s charm, offensive as evidenced in Crowe’s consummate performance, is a measure of great talent.

The courtroom and cells look true and are a credit to production designer Eve Stewart’s talents. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski’s close-ups augment the seriousness of the byplay. Brian Tyler’s score adds to the starkness of this representation.

This film reminds us of the perils of hate. It may be 80 years later, but those events still have a chilling relevance that resonates.