So, is the War Crime trial supposed to be set in contemporary times, which would have been 1960, when this Film was released? Or, just after the War, in the 1940's? I figured 1960 was only fifteen years after the War ended, and maybe it took that long for all of the Nazi criminals, and collaborators, to finally get Their Day in Court.
shareWhat is depicted in the movie is that Germany was still under military occupation and being governed by the victorious allied powers. And that the wartime alliance of the western nations with the Soviet Union was pretty much gone. From the political developments mentioned in the movie they were rapidly approaching what we now know as the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift. This would place the trial in the 1947-1948 time period.
It did indeed take a long time to identify, find and bring to trial all the people who could be charged with war crimes. And in fact that process is still ongoing. But by 1960 the American, British and French occupation areas had been constituted as West Germany and the occupation was officially over, although American troops remained stationed there for many years afterward to protect and defend western Europe against potential Soviet aggression.
However by that time the Germans governed West Germany, and it was German courts, not allied tribunals, that were trying war crimes cases.
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It's easier to be an individual than a god.
Thanks for clearing that up for Me. I was a bit confused because, the Hair cuts were more 1960's style, than the 40's.
shareI just pulled out my DVD and looked at the opening. It has a caption that says Nuremberg 1948, so that's the official answer. I didn't remember that caption being there.
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It's easier to be an individual than a god.
Hmm. I didn't notice that on Mine either.
shareIf you take a look at this clip from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GagXIYvnY1s the time and place are first identified onscreen at or just slightly before the 2:42 mark.
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In the restaurant scene, when the reporter says that the American public isn't interested in the trials anymore, Judge Heywood replies "But the war has been over for only a couple of years." So it's still late 40's.
Never be complete.
Didn't notice that scene. I think what threw me off of the time frame was the hairstyles. The Men in "JaN" had different haircuts from the 40's, and they didn't slick their hair down.
shareI thin they say "about 2 years after the war" a couple of times during the film. I think they also said 1948 at least once - though I could be mistaken. Anyhow, I just watched the film and for me it was pretty clear early on that the time is 1948 - so there must have been some indicators to it.
shareThat's correct. The problem is, the historical trials the film is actually about ran from March 5 to December 4, 1947, with the indictments being presented in January, 1947. The only reason I can think of to change the date to 1948 would have been so they could work in the Berlin Airlift in that one scene.
shareSome of the epic biblical movies have slicked back hair on the main actors. Hollywood didn't pay that much attention to detail back then.
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