Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)

In 1948 Nuremberg, Germany, the American military is holding a post-WWII tribunal on the activities of individuals within the Nazi Party leading up to and during the war. Dan Haywood is the lead judge in a three-man judiciary in one of those trials, where four men who were involved in judicial matters are the defendants. The general issues surrounding these four is whether they are guilty of international crimes or if they were just carrying out the laws of their national government, especially as they did not run or operate concentration camps for example, or purportedly know about what was happening to anyone they sentenced to life at those concentration camps. Of the four on trial, the largest question mark surrounds Dr. Ernst Janning, a globally-renowned judge. Haywood, not being well-traveled outside of the US, tries to get to know life in Germany, both then and now, to get a better perspective of the discussions at the trial, and he befriends a Mrs. Bertholt as that conduit into German life. The counsel for the prosecution is led by Col. Tad Lawson, who wants to win at any cost, which includes trotting out the emotional aspects of the genocide at the concentration camps at whatever opportunity, regardless of if it actually applies to the defendants. The counsel for the defense is led by Hans Rolfe, who sees the proceedings as German self-determination on trial. Problems on both sides are getting the German public affected to talk about and thus testify about this emotionally-traumatizing period of their past. But another issue in the background of this trial is the current Communist aggression, most specifically in Eastern Europe, and the Americans' need for German support in quashing this aggression, support which would be difficult to obtain if the Americans are putting Germans behind bars.