Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Blu-ray Company Release: Twilight Time
Starring: Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, William
Shatner, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Maximilian Schell,
Montgomery Clift
Plot: In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries
four Nazi judges for war crimes.
My Review and Thoughts:
Film: (5/5)
I was so excited and in cinema bliss when I learned that
Judgment at Nuremberg would be one of the November 2014 Twilight Time Special
Edition Blu-ray releases. This is a film that needed a new stunning outlet of
Blu-ray perfection and Twilight Time lovingly crafted this masterpiece film
upon a new crisp, clear imagery and sound perfection like it's never been done
before. Twilight Time aced this release and they get all my applause for their
work in bringing this film out. This is a movie that has always been a part of
my cinema world and one I always highly recommend. It stars some of the greatest
film legends of all time. The direction is stunning. The quality of the film
and the historical reality that it details is what making film perfection is.
This is a movie I first saw in history class in middle
school. It affected me then and it still affects me now. It's a film that
should affect anyone watching it because it is something that in my viewpoint
is a landmark of film in that it gives so much to the horrible story of Nazi
Germany.
The characters are flawless. I have seen it many times through
the years in cut versions or versions that where chopped for time to fit TV
timing. Watching the complete film once again is as powerful as it was the
first time I saw it complete 20 years ago. It still works in all its original
ways. A flawless film of characters, situations and man-made horror. A pure
tour-de-force of direction and acting quality that only masters at their craft,
can create.
Director Stanley Kramer has away with taking the very fabric
of history and painting a pure piece of history’s sadistic reality and creating
it in a filmed art-form come to life. His mind and vision is numbing when it
comes to creating characters and truthful style situations that are so thick
with history and passion and the very nature of existence is classified into
his visual direction. Stanley Kramer was able to create believable situations
in his films. He was a producer and a director that knew what he wanted and
showcased his ultimate visual understanding of film with such greats like
1963’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 1967’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and
the one I am reviewing 1961’s Judgment at Nuremberg. Kramer always had a gifted
talent at creating a direction that gave the story a personal touch. He led the
viewer into the film and allowed them to live it, become it and most of all
feel its emotions, specifically with Judgment at Nuremberg.
This is a wonderful example of a heavy, thick plotted film.
I want to describe it as very meaty in its approach. The movie gives massive
character development letting the viewer become a part of the situation and
just who the players of the trial are. A priceless watching of a film that
mixes the dark nature of the human mind.
Twilight Time always tends to give the best. Twilight Time
knows that certain films need to be experienced and showcased to the public.
Twilight Time gave Judgment at Nuremberg a wonderful outlet for this generation
to experience. This Blu-ray is the prime example of how important the company
is and how they honor and respect the art-form of film. The Holocaust and World
War 2 and its aftermath is a true dark stain on human history. Judgment at
Nuremberg was a film that explored and created a touchy subject that should
never be forgotten.
There are many horrors in the world. Many acts of depravity
throughout history, but one dark stain of reality is World War 2. The Nazi's
are the beacon of hate and the embodiment of evil. A moment in history that
forever stained the makeup of time. A powerful example of what true hell could
be like in the actions and situations caused by a race of men and women calling
themselves the superior race, when in honesty, the nasty reality was man
destroying his own self.
T
The flooring descriptions at times and horrible despicable
acts perpetrated by Nazi's throughout many books, programs and films never gets
old or tiring because what happened is something that at times is so
unbelievable but yet so real that you can't help want to feel anger or shed a
tear.
This movie feels real, it's scary in that it makes you use
your mind to think of all the horrors that happened. Its showcases apart of
true history that stains its very reality into us all, wanting to know the true
logic of what happened; put there is no logic to mass murder. One cannot simply
accept those death camps as mere forgotten history because those camps, and
actions of so many from Judges to laymen ended the lives of millions upon
millions of innocent people. That concept cannot be over looked. It cannot be
just another history book. It has to be taught, showcased and most of all
punished. This is a movie that should be seen and educated with in schools and
in general population so that we don't repeat the atrocities of these death
dealers. To me this Twilight Time Blu-ray is not only a wonderful example of love to an important film, it's also an educational tool.
If there is a concept of evil, if it does exist, if the
devil is real then the acts of the Nazi's mentioned and detailed in history
books and films is all the truth one needs to grasp the real reality and makeup
of the concepts of evil and the devil. For these actions that took place are
described and defined in history, so the Nazi death dealers can be looked at as
evil and as the persona of the devil.
I think one needs to look no further in a cast of performers
that truly ace and perfect the art of film with their roles in this movie. The
cast is almost endless it seems. I mean my god, Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster,
Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietrich, Judy
Garland, William Shatner, and Montgomery Clift. If that is not a wakeup call on
perfection then nothing is. This is a pure dream cast of acting gold. A
brilliant example of flawless performances and mastery. Seeing so many together
in one setting blows the mind and basically alters the concept of just how
great a film can be through its performances.
The story brings in a tight woven ordeal of drama and a
nightmarish darkness of history. The watcher is taken a hold of and experiences
it firsthand, adding to the wonderful writing quality that is Abby Mann. Mann
crafted a story of historical darkness and tension. I love the tension that
flows off the screen and into the watchers mind. The darkness and dread of
knowing a crime, a victim and a killer. What I mean by killer is all those
directly and sometimes indirectly responsible for mass murder or placing
judgments that cause death or inhumane actions to another are in my viewpoint,
a killer. Just because you happened to be behind a desk signing papers does not
give you the right to say I am innocent. So many Nazi’s used the, I was doing
my job or I simply signed papers. Well those papers you signed where death
warrants or inhumane actions. The plea and idea I was just doing my job is
asinine. You know right from wrong and murder and mistreatment is basic human
understanding that to punish someone without logical merit or without
fundamental principles of law is wrong. A law system based on one group of
people that hates Jews is not a logical reality, it is the hatred and evil of a
personal agenda and not an agenda of justice or the whole of humanity.
This masterpiece was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won
for Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. Maximilian Schell won for Best
Actor and after you watch his performance you can understand why he won. He
gives a performance that is beyond explanation. A true gifted actor and truly
an eye opening experience. All the performers do the same and so many of them
where nominated for their roles and rightly deserved it. The film is so
important to cinema history that the United States National Film Registry by
the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in 2013. They deemed it
culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Twilight Time brought out a masterpiece film. It crafted the
beauty this film deserved on Blu-ray format. A priceless example of pure
perfection. A movie that stands the test of time and never alters in age
because it's a film that every generation should see. Twilight Time Blu-ray
aced this release in pure clarity that honored this great film.
Audio/Video: (5/5)
The best quality is Twilight Time. Stunning, crisp and
vibrant in image and sound. Can't say anymore then masterpiece quality, simply
put, pure perfection. They honored this true historical must see film.
LANGUAGE: English
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 1.66:1
AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA / English 2.0 DTS-HD MA
SUBTITLES: English SDH
1961 / B & W
179 MINUTES
NOT RATED
REGION FREE
Extras: (5/5)
Wonderful extras and truly amazing to see the special
features. I absolutely praise the features on this. The conversation and also
the tribute are stunning. I loved the feature The Value of a Single Human
Being, but most of all the isolated music and effects track is what it's all
about. Stunning to the ears.
Isolated Music & Effects Track
In Conversation with Abby Mann and Maximilian Schell
The Value of a Single Human Being
A Tribute to Stanley Kramer
Original Theatrical Trailer
Liner Notes by Julie Kirgo
Overall Product Rating: (5/5)
Twilight Time did this film justice just like they tend to
always do. A beautiful amazing release that only Twilight Time can do.
Masterpiece Blu-ray.
This is a flawless film, a masterpiece of cinema in
direction, acting and script. A true powerful example of how to create a
lasting film that still holds up today as it did then. A movie that will stick
with you and give you pure satisfaction in how the conclusion takes place.
Twilight Time Blu-ray has brought out a fantastic piece of
cinema and crafted it with mastery. A must own Blu-ray. One of the best I feel that Twilight Time has done.
INFO:
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