Nuremberg Director James Vanderbilt
Starring Michael Shannon, Rami Malek, Russell Crowe
Genre Crowe Show
Russell Crowe is a legendary, passionate actor who has delivered fantastic performances in a huge range of different acting roles (some not so great!). And while Nuremberg is an extraordinary and very important film worth watching, the trans-Tasman origin of Russell Crowe and his very high profile distract viewers when watching the film or trying to find out about it online, on TV or anywhere else.
Anyone who sees the film or is interested in it likely already knows that post–World War II trials of high-ranking Nazis were held at Nuremberg in Germany. The film Nuremberg gives those viewers incredible insights into the trials and their inception and complexity. A major focus of the film is on the trial of Hermann Göring, a charismatic and powerful Nazi commander, played by Russell Crowe.
Crowe portrays Göring incredibly well, giving a nuanced portrayal of a complex (if despicable) man. But it raises the question – would a good German actor who could speak English have made the role even more interesting and valid? After all, the American roles were played by Americans, the English roles were played by English actors and some of the German roles were played by Germans. They were all excellent.
I totally appreciate that choosing Crowe, Malek and Shannon may have been a financial decision by the film’s producers to have known stars in order to maximise the number of viewers. Or perhaps it was a director who chose Crowe because he liked or always wanted to work with Crowe. That’s part of the inherent difference between art house films and mainstream films and their production companies. It’s why art house films are mostly lower budget, cutting-edge, controversial and often more challenging to script, make and watch – why they’re often the best films as a result.
Rating Four and a half gladiators
