Nuremberg

One of the greatest courtroom dramas in history, Nuremberg shows how the international prosecutors built their case against the top Nazi war criminals using the Nazis' own films and records, becoming the foundation for all subsequent trials for crimes against the peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Made for the War Department & U.S. Military Government by Stuart Schulberg, a veteran of John Ford's OSS War Crimes film team, it was distributed in Germany in 1948 and 1949 as part of the U.S. denazification campaign, but its release to American theaters and other countries was canceled due to political concerns. Over the years, the original picture negative and sound elements were lost or destroyed. Filmmakers Sandra Schulberg (Stuart's daughter) and Josh Waletzky created a new 35 mm negative (made from the German Bundesarchiv's best print) and re-constructed the soundtrack using original sound from the trial. The Schulberg/Waletzky restoration allows audiences to hear Justice Robert H. Jackson's famous opening and closing statements to the Tribunal, and the testimony from the German defendants and their defense attorneys—all in their own voices—as well as the prosecutors. Now, more than 60 years later, the newly-restored film can be seen for the first time. Narrated by Liev Schreiber.

“Haunting and vivid. What this documentary shows is how a vital and indispensable principle of humanity was restored.” (A.O. Scott, New York Times)

“[Four stars] Mesmerizing. NUREMBERG couldn’t be more of the moment. Something of a minor miracle.” (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post)