Badmovies.org Forum

I hadn't seen Stanley Kramer's film for many years until a friend lent me her DVD for the weekend. I can remember my Dad telling me years ago that this film would rattle me and he was right.

In 2009, 48 years later, it has still not lost its' power, especially the scenes in the concentration camps.  :buggedout:

I've tried to watch it a few times, but I can't stand it. It should be interesting in at least a dozen levels, but it always seems to aim for the lower kind of "educainment". I mean, we already know that eugenics, racial discrimination, genocide, torture, concentration camps and so on are bad things, we don't need to be convinced. Rather than coming to understand how a democratic regime ended up enthusiastically enforcing all of those things, it makes me feel as if Kramer thought viewers were in favour of those things and needed to be deprogrammed or something.

Last time I tried to watch it, I had to stop when Spencer Tracy gets some time for himself and wanders through the city and Kramer decides it's time to poke fun at the hardships of post-war life. No, thanks.

I'm with you there ~ I understand that the German people weren't impressed with this film at all. It's kind of like when a foreign filmmaker makes a film about South Africa, trumpeting to all how bad everything was in SA, 1948 ~ 1994.

The result? An armful of awards overseas and a very loud 'up yours' from the SA viewing public.  :buggedout:

I happen to like this film, since it has so very many interesting (if not great) performances... it's ham handed all over the place, but it explores it's topic honestly and provocatively, for American audiences, even as late as 1961... I agree that there's a definite bent in portrayals. 

I'm a fan of this movie.  Admittedly, it isn't great but it's certainly an interesting coutroom drama with an interesting cast.