Submitted by David Russo
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…? James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, reviewed here, about one of the most important trials of all time, has its shining points but also an apparent fabrication — a confrontation between Justice Robert H. Jackson and Pope Pius XII in which Jackson pressures the latter into endorsing the Nuremberg trials. However, this scene is not supported by the historical record and presents a misleading and misguided image of the Pope’s stance.
It’s common for films to compress or simplify historical events, but Nuremberg goes beyond that. Although Pius XII did have certain concerns — hoping the trials would not impose collective guilt on all Germans — he had, even before the war ended, already voiced support for trying war criminals (Radio Message). Scholar Ronald J. Rychlak reports that Pius said, “Not only do we approve of the [Nuremburg] trial, but we desire that the guilty be punished as quickly as possible, and without exception” (Catalyst). Experts on the history of the trials such as John Q. Barrett (Times Union) and Richard F. Crane (OSV News) have commented on the movie’s inaccuracies in its portrayal of Pius XII.
If a movie included an invented scene about any other religious group, many in the media would rightly denounce it. So it should be here. Nuremberg does a great service in raising awareness of a crucial period in history, but moviegoers should be aware of this particular flaw.
Yours,
David Russo
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