Naman Shrestha
With James Vanderbilt at the helm, ‘Nuremberg’ is a historical psychological thriller drama movie adapted from the 2013 book titled ‘The Nazi and the Psychiatrist’ written by Jack El-Hai. The narrative follows an established US Army psychiatrist named Douglas Kelley, who is given the responsibility of carrying out the psychoanalysis and mental evaluation of various high-ranking Nazi criminals, including Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring, after the end of the Nazi regime.
Before the Nuremberg trials commence, the psychiatrist assesses the mental status of the Nazi prisoners to determine if they are fit to stand trial for their respective war crimes. During the process, he grows profoundly obsessed with understanding evil and forms an unlikely and disturbing bond with Hermann. The psychological showdown and battle of wits between Douglas and Hermann unfold in the post-World War II era, before and during the Nuremberg trials in the eponymous city of Germany.
Nuremberg Filming Locations
‘Nuremberg’ was filmed primarily in Hungary, specifically in and around Budapest. According to reports, principal photography for the James Vanderbilt directorial got underway in February 2024 and went on for about three months before wrapping up in May of the same year. Richard E. Grant, who portrays Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, took to social media when he was finished filming. He stated, “Bye bye Budapest! Big thanks for having me, and like Arnie famously quipped ‘I’ll be back’!”
Budapest, Hungary
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Nuremberg’ were lensed across the city of Budapest, which is the capital of Hungary. Although the actual trials took place in Nuremberg, Germany, the makers made the most of Budapest’s similar architecture and landscape to depict post-war Germany, with the help of talented production designers and costume designers. The production team utilized numerous areas in and around the city, transforming them into Nuremberg locales. For instance, the cast and crew members set up camp in and around the Danube Palace, situated in the Inner City of Budapest.
Built between 1883 and 1885, the Neo-Baroque concert hall served as an aristocratic club for entertainment in the past. For the film, it was reportedly redressed as a bar where key portions were filmed. To tape the interiors of the Nuremberg courtroom and prison, the production team possibly took over a sound stage or two of one of the film studios located in and around the city of Budapest, such as ORIGO Studios, Korda Studios, Stern Film Studio, and more. Talking about his experience of shooting ‘Nuremberg’ in Hungary, Rami Malek, who portrays Douglas Kelley, told Deadline, “We were shooting in Hungary, and at the end of each take there was a standing ovation.”
He added that the locals “kept applauding because there’s so many links in that part of the world to what happened – very, very closely. And so you could feel that. You could feel the tension in that courtroom scene. It was palpable every day. You hold that with you and yeah, there’s something uniquely special about that.” Since Budapest is home to several cultural and historical monuments, you are likely to spot a few of them in the backdrop of outdoor scenes or establishing shots, including the Hungarian State Opera House, Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Great Market Hall, Fisherman’s Bastion, and more. Besides the James Vanderbilt directorial, the capital has served as the filming site for various movies and TV shows, such as ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ ‘A Call to Spy,’ ‘Einstein and Eddington,’ ‘The Story of My Wife,’ ‘All the Light We Cannot See,’ and ‘John Adams.’
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