Judgment at Nuremberg
I love films
that Spencer Tracy is in. He often seems
to pick films that have very worthwhile concepts to discuss.
This is a
film about the trails at Nuremberg for the Nazi leaders after World War II. One of the many themes of this movie is
personal responsibility and whether people should have to have consequences for
their actions and pay some kind of restitution; or whether the guilt of one is
the guilt of all, and no one should throw the first stone.
Does the
concept of obeying orders of government relieve a person of the responsibility
of obeying the commandments of God? To
whom to we owe our greatest loyalty?
Here are
some quotes that I love from the movie
**
Judge Haytood – “There are those in our own country, too..who today speak of
the protection of country, of survival.
A decision must be made in the life of every nation...at the very moment
when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then it seems that the only way
to survive is to use the means of the enemy...to rest survival upon what is
expedient, to look the other way.
The answer to that is: Survival as what? A
country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands
for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult.
Before the people of the world…let it now
be noted...that here in our decision, this is what we stand for: Justice...truth...and
the value of a single human being.”
** Judge Haywood – “But to be logical is not to be right.
And nothing on God's earth could ever make it right.”
** Herr Jenning – “I never knew it would come to that.
You must believe it.”
Judge Haywood - “Herr Janning...
it came to that the first time you sentenced a man to death...you knew to be innocent.”
