Dir: Stanley Kramer | Cast: Spencer Tracy, Maximillian Schell,
With his reputation for tackling only Big Issues, the Holocaust had to be on Kramer’s list of cinematic ‘lest we should forget’ achievements. That said, this assembly of star turns in the court – including token ‘Germans’ Dietrich and Schell, the latter collecting an Oscar for his efforts as the defence attorney – are often very impressive. Tracy puts in an effortlessly brilliant performance as the superjudge, and Clift as a confused Nazi victim is painfully convincing in his emotional disintegration. There are no surprises in the direction, and Abby Mann’s screenplay plays the expected tunes, but there’s enough conviction on display to reward a patient spectator.