The only thing I can see being gained by each character solely speaking their native language and the film using subtitles as a translation is a possible sense of realism for those who, for whatever reason, apparently find it difficult to remember that films aren't real life, even those based on real events as this is. To be completely honest, I've never quite understood the whole "why are these foreign characters talking English???" issues some people have with films... In this case, as I said, the film was made in an era before subtitles were used with any degree of regularity and certainly not used for what would probably cumulatively amount to at least half the film, and it was clearly made for an primarily English-speaking market given its casting American stars like Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland in German roles. As it is, I think JAN handles the situation almost perfectly with the indictments and pleas being given using the characters' native languages, thus setting up the use of simultaneous translation via headsets, and then Maximilian Schell beginning his opening statement in German before seamlessly switching to English halfway through with no one within the world of the film acknowledging a difference. All of which is dedicated to making it as blatantly obvious as it can be that it's only us, the film's audience, who are now hearing the German characters speaking English (unless acknowledged otherwise). It's not like the characters are wearing headsets throughout the trial because they just look so irresistibly cool or something, it's also a visual clue for the audience to help us understand which characters are speaking a common language at any given time despite us only hearing English.
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