Saagar Kote
Helmed by James Vanderbilt, ‘Nuremberg’ delves into the ups and downs in the life of US Army psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who finds himself in the middle of a legal-political storm after the end of the Second World War. He is given the difficult and sensitive job of evaluating and monitoring the mental health status of Nazi officials awaiting trial. The most crucial part of the task is for Douglas to have conversations with an incarcerated Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), one of Adolf Hitler’s most formidable allies and a former high-ranking Nazi official. As the trials approach, Douglas becomes increasingly involved in a dramatic psychological conflict with Hermann, which may alter his perception of morality.
As Hermann makes his perspectives known in prison and in the trials, Douglas finds it difficult to crack the enigma of evil and hatred that resides within the Nazi official’s mind. With the world watching and the victims awaiting justice, the situation gets more complicated. Based on real events and the book ‘The Nazi and the Psychiatrist’ by Jack El-Hai, the psychological thriller drama is a riveting tale of legal and moral complexities. In this list, we bring you movies similar to ‘Nuremberg’ that shed light on the brutalities of the Nazis and the perspectives of the victims.
10. Eichmann (2007)
‘Eichmann’ narrates the story of Chief Inspector Avner Less (Troy Garity), an Israeli police officer, who is given the puzzling task of having conversations with the former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann (Thomas Kretschmann), who is awaiting trial in Israel after being apprehended in Argentina. Avner’s job is tricking Adolf into incriminating himself as the world waits for justice. More than a decade after the end of the Second World War, Adolf and Avner engage in a tense battle of wits that may shape Israel’s future. Based on real events and the actual transcripts of Adolf Eichmann’s interrogations, the British biographical drama is a compelling portrait of history. Directed by Robert Young, the movie is similar to ‘Nuremberg’ as it deals with the psychological reality of an elite Nazi official, while also commenting on the element of justice to Holocaust victims.
9. The Man in the Glass Booth (1975)
Directed by Arthur Hiller, ‘The Man in the Glass Booth’ is a drama that follows Arthur Goldman (Maximilian Schell), a wealthy Manhattan Jewish land developer, who is a Holocaust survivor haunted by the past. Despite his financial success, he struggles with recurring visions of his father’s death in a concentration camp, and Karl Adolf Dorff, the one he believes is responsible for the killing. Things take a turn when Mossad agents confirm Arthur’s true identity as Karl through medical evidence. He is forcibly taken to Israel to stand trial for war crimes, but remains confident he will be acquitted by speaking the truth. Based on the eponymous novel and play by Robert Shaw, the narrative, through its courtroom elements, its portrayal of psychological distress, and its commentary on Nazi ideology, complements ‘Nuremberg.’
8. Music Box (1989)
‘Music Box’ centers on Mike Laszlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a Hungarian immigrant who builds a successful life in the US over four decades following the end of the Second World War. He shares a close bond with his daughter, Ann Talbot (Jessica Lange), an attorney of great reputation. However, the release of classified war documents by the Russians leads to an accusation that Mike is a dangerous war criminal. Convinced this is a political ploy, Mike insists that Ann represent him in court and prove his morality.
Ann agrees to do so, but the case proves to be more complex than she initially expected. Loosely based on the real-life case of John Demjanjuk, the legal thriller, directed by Costa-Gavras, is a puzzling tale of secrecy and deception. Akin to ‘Nuremberg,’ it features tense courtroom moments, an accused man confronting the weight of the past, and the relentless efforts to secure justice.
7. The Collini Case (2019)
Directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner, ‘The Collini Case’ or ‘Der Fall Collini’ revolves around Fabrizio Collini (Franco Nero), a seemingly ordinary man who unexpectedly kills a prominent industrialist in Berlin. Caspar Leinen (Elyas M’Barek), an inexperienced defense lawyer, takes on the case, hoping to secure an acquittal for Fabrizio. However, Fabrizio confesses to the crime but remains silent about his motive. As Leinen investigates, he discovers a disturbing secret that originates in the post-Nazi era within the German legal structure. As shocking realities come to light, Fabrizio’s fate hangs in the balance. Based on the eponymous novel by Ferdinand von Schirach, the German drama is spiritually related to ‘Nuremberg’ through its tense visual tone, courtroom elements, and examination of the secrets of the Nazi era.
6. Operation Finale (2018)
‘Operation Finale’ is a historical thriller drama that picks up in 1944, when SS officer Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) goes into hiding after coordinating the destruction of important documents in Berlin. Years later, in Buenos Aires, Sylvia Hermann (Haley Lu Richardson) begins a relationship with Klaus Eichmann (Joe Alwyn), who claims that his father, an SS member, had died in the war and that he was raised by an uncle named Ricardo. This leads to suspicions that Ricardo might be Adolf Eichmann, after which Mossad director Isser Harel (Lior Raz) sends agent Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov) to Buenos Aires for reconnaissance.
What follows is the attempt of Israeli secret agents to track, capture, and bring Adolf from Argentina to Israel for trial. The Chris Weitz directorial is based on several sources, including the book ‘Eichmann in My Hands’ by Peter Malkin and Harry Stein. Like in ‘Nuremberg,’ the narrative features legal issues, the relentless efforts to bring a Nazi official to justice, and the disturbing truths about war crimes.
5. Denial (2016)
Directed by Mick Jackson, ‘Denial’ tells the story of American Holocaust studies professor Deborah E. Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) and her legal battle for truth. The dispute begins when David Irving (Timothy Spall), a British writer on Nazi history, files a libel lawsuit against Lipstadt and her publisher in the UK after she publicly claims that David is a Holocaust denier. This forces Deborah and her legal team to prove the fundamental truth that the Holocaust was real and that Irving had lied about it. Based on actual happenings and on the real-life Deborah Lipstadt’s book ‘History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier,’ the British-American biographical drama delves deep into the atrocities of the Holocaust. The film shares similarities with ‘Nuremberg’ as it sheds light on the realities of Nazi Germany, while also featuring legal arguments and commentary on morality.
4. The Eichmann Show (2015)
The drama film ‘The Eichmann Show’ chronicles the effort to televise the 1961 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann (Vaidotas Martinaitis). American television producer Milton Fruchtman (Martin Freeman) strongly believes that the world needed to witness the Holocaust’s evils through the trial to prevent the resurgence of Nazism. He teams up with blacklisted documentary filmmaker Leo Hurwitz (Anthony LaPaglia) to achieve this. Despite facing death threats, reluctance from networks, and political opposition from Israel, Milton and Leo battle against overwhelming odds to make their mission successful. Based on true events, the Paul Andrew Williams directorial, on the lines of ‘Nuremberg,’ sheds light on the psychological truths of a Nazi war criminal, while also portraying the dangers of the Nazi ideology in a courtroom environment.
3. Labyrinth of Lies (2014)
Helmed by Giulio Ricciarelli, ‘Labyrinth of Lies’ or ‘Im Labyrinth des Schweigens’ takes place in the prosperous West Germany of the late 1950s. The country hopes to return to peace, and the atrocities of the war seem forgotten. However, this uneasy status quo is disrupted when a journalist reports on a former Auschwitz guard who is now a local schoolteacher. Young, ambitious public prosecutor Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling) decides to investigate the case. Despite the scale of the task, Johann remains steadfast in his efforts to uncover the truth hidden in the US Army Document Center’s records.
This daring investigation marks the start of a difficult road to national awareness as terrifying truths remain hidden in the shadows. Based on true events, the German drama, akin to ‘Nuremberg,’ is a nuanced and sensitive exploration of morality, national memory, and the role of brave individuals in keeping the controversial parts of history alive.
2. Conspiracy (2001)
Based on real events, ‘Conspiracy’ is set in 1942, as Germany enters a phase of uncertainty and risk during the Second World War. In this tense national moment, fifteen senior officials are summoned to a luxurious mansion in Wannsee, Berlin. This secret meeting, attended by figures like Adolf Eichmann (Stanley Tucci), brings together high-ranking individuals from various sectors of the Nazi regime. The purpose is to finalize the plans for the systematic extermination of the Jewish people through the idea known as the “Final Solution.”
What follows is a brutal portrayal of the role of the delegates of the meetings in deciding the course of a violent scheme that changed the world’s understanding of morality forever. Directed by Frank Pierson, the HBO British drama, like ‘Nuremberg,’ reflects the moral conundrums, the depth of evil of the Nazis, and the role played by elite Nazi officials in engineering the Holocaust.
1. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Directed by Stanley Kramer, ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’ is a legal drama that focuses on the post-war trials of four Nazi officials at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal in 1948. The chief judge, Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy), must determine if these defendants are guilty of international crimes or simply followed national laws and orders from superiors. To gain the necessary perspective, Haywood seeks insight into German life by befriending Mrs. Bertholt, the widow of a Nazi general. Meanwhile, prosecutor Tad Lawson (Richard Widmark) prioritizes an emotional conviction, while defense counsel Hans Rolfe (Maximilian Schell) views the trial as a challenge to German autonomy.
The strategic and political concerns of the time complicate the trials, which are primarily about the value of humanity. Based on Abby Mann’s eponymous book, the narrative closely reflects the themes, the issues, and the legal tensions of ‘Nuremberg.’ Both films delve deep into the heart of Nazi ideology, while also highlighting the moral cost of justice.
Read More: Where Was Nuremberg Filmed?
