This 90 minute documentary summarizes the Nuremberg trial of 22 leading members of the German Nazi government and its allied institutions, including Goering and Hess, known as the Trial of the Major War Criminals.  There have been other documentaries before on this topic, but what makes this one notable is that is includes a great deal of footage that hasn't been seen previously.  Narrated by Christopher Plummer, the documentary explains how the trial came about, why it was so unique, and how it was arranged.  It shows some of the evidence that was presented, especially two films shows at the trial, "Nazi Concentration Camps," and "Atrocities Committed By The German Fascists In The USSR."  These are also included in their full versions on the second DVD. 

The narration talks about how there was ongoing discussion about how the trial should proceed, and what sorts of crime the defendants should be charged with.  It explains how they settled on the crime of conspiracy to commit other crimes, to emphasize their collective responsibility.  It also shows how there was some debate about the strategies of the prosecuting side about how to proceed, and how occasionally Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson, the lead prosecutor, was criticized for his choices.  There's virtually no explanation of debates over the legal basis for the trial, and of the status of the international laws that were employed.  (Relating to this, there is a very useful archive of legal materials at the Avalon Project at Yale University Law School website.)  The documentary also includes some recent interviews with some people recalling the trial or explaining some important aspects of it.

This will be a useful educational resource to explain the Nuremberg trial to undergraduates.  It includes some footage of concentration camps, which is horrific, so it would be important to give viewers advance warning of what they will see.  Since the trial lasted 10 months, it is impossible for a 90 minute documentary to give anything like a full account of what went on.  So it mainly focuses on some of the more striking moments rather than spending much time on legal technicalities.  The documentary is especially interesting now in relation to subsequent international trials and the psychological and ethical function of such trials. 

© 2008 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York.