Film Review: ‘Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]’ Preserves Vital Footage

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CHICAGO – In the opening moments of Stuart Schulberg’s invaluable 1948 documentary, “Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today,” shell-shocked men, women and children emerge from the wreckage of what appears to be a post-apocalyptic landscape. A street lamp juts out from the carnage, twisted out of all recognition, much like the human bodies later viewed in the footage.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 5.0/5.0
Rating: 5.0/5.0

The level of barbarism and monstrous inhumanity captured by Schulberg’s lens is simply beyond words. It’s impossible to dissect such vital images with a conventionally critical eye. “Nuremberg” is less a film than an enduring historical record. Moviegoers familiar with dramatizations such as Stanley Kramer’s excellent 1961 ensemble piece, “Judgment at Nuremberg,” will be amazed to see excerpts from the 25 hours of film permitted to be shot of the initial Nuremberg trials, from November 1945 to October 1946.

StarRead Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]” in our reviews section.

History buffs and Holocaust scholars will have the rare opportunity to view this monumental achievement on the big screen during its run at the Music Box Theatre. Schulberg’s daughter, Sandra, oversaw a 2009 restoration of the picture with Josh Waletzky, creating a fresh 35mm negative while reconstructing the original soundtrack, score and narration (recited by Liev Schreiber, who wisely resists all thesping opportunities). Though Sandra’s collaborators were unable to sync words elicited at the trial with the onscreen images, they never allowed their limitations to become a distraction. Joseph Zigman’s masterful editing is the crux of the film’s success, as it intercuts moments from the trial with footage used in the prosecution’s defense. Cinema played a key role in convicting the twenty-four Nazi leaders tried before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg’s Palace of Justice. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson served as the U.S. Chief Prosecutor, and expressed his wish to screen footage of Nazi atrocities in the courtroom. Schulberg and his brother Budd were among the filmmakers assigned to an OSS film team led by none other than John Ford. The resulting footage was compiled into two features, “The Nazi Plan” and “Nazi Concentration Camps,” each viewed at the trial and interspersed throughout “Nuremberg.”

‘Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]’ features narration by Liev Schreiber. It was written and directed by Stuart Schulberg. It opened May 6 at the Music Box Theatre. It is not rated. Sandra Schulberg will speak at the evening screening on May 6, as well as screenings on May 7 and 8.

StarContinue reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]” review.

Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson is featured in Stuart Schulberg’s 1948 documentary, Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today.
Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson is featured in Stuart Schulberg’s 1948 documentary, Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today.
Photo credit: Schulberg Productions

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