Russell Crowe’s Forgotten WWII Drama Nuremberg Deserves to Be Remembered

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James Vanderbilt’s 2025 film initially had a quiet release in theaters, getting lost amidst bigger, more popular movies. This historical drama, which focuses on the period right after World War II, didn’t get much attention at the time. However, it’s now gaining unexpected popularity on streaming services, leading people to reconsider its worth and impact.

The series Nuremberg is currently popular on streaming platforms and generating a lot of discussion. It boasts a very high 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and features outstanding performances from a remarkable cast. Notably, the portrayal of Hermann Göring, a key figure and once considered Adolf Hitler’s successor, is particularly compelling.

Nuremberg Chose Accountability Over Action

With the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, Adolf Hitler died by suicide, and his remaining commanders surrendered to the Allied forces. The world then faced the challenge of deciding what to do with these captured leaders who had been responsible for such terrible events.

Many leaders initially favored quick executions, but the film centers on the enormous effort to conduct a fair, public trial with international oversight. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, portrayed by [actor’s name], takes the lead in creating a completely new legal system for the proceedings.

Jackson faces the challenge of establishing a legal definition for “crimes against humanity” and determining how to bring charges against national leaders in a court of law. The story explores the complex ethical questions raised by this new legal process, and also examines the role of the Catholic Church, including its choices and perceived lack of awareness regarding the surrounding political climate.

Jackson faces the challenge of prosecuting the Nazi leaders without allowing them a platform to promote their hateful beliefs. The story is also told through the eyes of Howie Triest, portrayed by Leo Woodall, a German-Jewish American soldier who translates for the defendants during the legal proceedings, helping to keep the trials focused and factual.

Triest primarily works as an interpreter, assisting US officials with prisoners of war, but he remains largely unnoticed. Later, we discover he escaped to America after his parents were killed in Auschwitz. This hidden trauma subtly influences how we perceive the events unfolding in the courtroom.

The film avoids any sensationalism and clearly demonstrates the urgent need for justice. During the trial, prosecutors showed raw, unedited footage of the concentration camps as they were liberated, forcing the defendants to confront the true horrors of the regime. This brought the reality of what happened directly into the courtroom.

The story creates suspense through clever thinking and complex procedures. Jackson and his colleagues must untangle a huge organizational problem to demonstrate that those who gave the orders are equally responsible as the people who followed them.

One of Russell Crowe’s Most Controlled Performances

I was really fascinated by how much of the movie focused on the psychological assessments of the prisoners, led by Russell Crowe. He played Hermann Göring – you know, basically the second-in-command in Nazi Germany – and it was so interesting because Crowe didn’t go for the typical, screaming, over-the-top villain portrayal. He was remarkably calm and controlled, which made the performance even more chilling, honestly.

Russell Crowe plays a character who is brilliant, charismatic, and deeply self-absorbed, always acting with unwavering confidence. The movie reveals his past as a celebrated fighter pilot – a hero long before he became involved with the Nazi Party. This earlier reputation earned him the admiration of the German people.

Crowe highlights Hermann Göring’s severe drug addiction, revealed by the thousands of opiate pills found with him after capture. The central conflict of the story unfolds in a prison cell between Göring and Major Douglas Kelley, an American Army psychiatrist. Kelley is driven to uncover a psychological or biological explanation for how these men could have committed such horrific acts of mass murder.

Göring, a shrewd and clever politician, skillfully plays on the doctor’s interest. He presents himself as perfectly ordinary, speaking fondly of his family and portraying his climb to power as a straightforward effort to rebuild Germany’s economy. This carefully constructed psychological game ultimately unravels in a dramatic confrontation in the courtroom, making the Nuremberg trials a

The confrontation between Göring and Jackson unfolds in a lengthy, seventeen-page cross-examination, a true clash of minds and beliefs. Göring saw the trial as an opportunity to justify his actions and preserve his reputation, while Jackson aimed to definitively condemn fascism. Ultimately, Göring performed exactly as one would expect, skillfully playing the role he seemed born to play.

Crowe relies on physical presence and how lines are delivered to create his performance. He skillfully portrayed Göring’s physical state – a large, unhealthy man – through subtle movements and body language. This makes Göring a powerfully intimidating figure, and importantly, it challenges the audience to confront a disturbing reality: the people responsible for terrible acts weren’t necessarily monstrous in appearance. They were simply ordinary men, driven by intense ambition and lacking compassion.

Nuremberg Must Be Remembered As A Modern Classic

When the movie first came out in theaters in late 2025, it only earned around $56.9 million. Critics were somewhat divided, giving it a 71% rating, and some felt the beginning was slow. However, it quickly became much more popular when it started streaming, completely changing its initial performance.

This historical thriller has consistently ranked among the top 15 most popular movies in the U.S. It quickly became one of the three most-watched films on Netflix after its release. With an impressive 95% audience approval rating, viewers clearly appreciate its complex story and strong focus on dialogue.

The most unsettling part of the film is Dr. Kelley’s final understanding: the Nazi leaders weren’t clinically insane or mentally flawed. They were normal people, motivated simply by a desire for power and advancement. The film shows how easily these leaders exploited a nation’s economic anxieties and cultural prejudices to gain control.

The story then brings Kelley back to the United States, where he attempts to warn people through his book that the manipulative political strategies he witnessed could threaten any democracy. However, the public dismisses his concerns, believing such corruption could only occur in other countries. Sadly, Kelley succumbs to depression and dies by suicide, using the same cyanide capsule that Göring used to avoid execution.

The film taps into current anxieties about world events and really connects with today’s audiences. While some critics and viewers have pointed out issues, particularly towards the end, it’s still a bold and thought-provoking story.

Filming in this location adds significant historical resonance, which the movie effectively conveys. It’s the very city where Göring and the Nazi Party enacted the notorious Nuremberg Laws in 1935 – laws that revoked Jewish people’s citizenship, made discrimination legal, and ultimately paved the way for further atrocities.

The tribunal was intentionally held in the same location where the regime’s most oppressive laws originated, a powerful act of symbolic justice that the film emphasizes. By centering on this legal and emotional reckoning, the movie establishes itself alongside acclaimed films such as Oppenheimer and The Zone of Interest.

These highly praised films stand out because they delve into the horrors of war, rather than focusing on heroic victories. Nuremberg powerfully portrays an important moral struggle and ensures this crucial story isn’t forgotten.

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2026-03-11 06:18