MovieChat Forums > Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) Discussion > Where was Hans Rolfe?

Where was Hans Rolfe?

posted 11 years ago by Kappybelle
13 replies | jump to latest

I might have missed this part if it was ever explained in the movie, but where was Hans Rolfe (Schell's character) during the war? If he was German and in his 20s or 30s, wouldn't he have been drafted into the Nazi Army? If he was exempt because he was a lawyer, wouldn't he still have been put to work by the Nazis in some legal capacity?

When Richard Widmark's character was on the stand and the movie of all Nazi atrocities were shown through a film, Hans Rolfe said they were inhuman. But are we supposed to believe that he didn't stand by and watch them happen? After all, in a court after the fact, he would say whatever he felt the judges wanted to hear.

I just wonder why there wasn't some connection made with Hans Rolfe and Nazism.

[–] bhoover247 11 years ago

Excellent point. People don't live in a vacuum. Rolfe was young and intelligent during the war. If he lived in Germany, he had to be someway connected with the Nazis.

[–] Mr_Beale 11 years ago

He makes a comment about "serving in the war," so I assume that's where he was.

If he was out in the battlefield, he probably wouldn't have been directly exposed to the concentration camps.

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[–] crlnrgbrght5 11 years ago

I'm trying to understand, and if it was mentioned on this board, when the timing of these trials took place. If it was right after the War, or in the present time, when the Movie was made, 1960. If it was the present, would Rolfe be old enough to serve in the War?

[–] doug65oh 11 years ago

The "Justice Trial" (or The United States of America vs. Josef Altstötter, et al. as it was known) took place in 1947. The film is set in 1948. We don't really know how old Hans Rolfe was. The only thing he mentions is being an admirer of Herr Janning while a boy in university.

[–] crlnrgbrght5 11 years ago

It's hard to tell what year it took place while watching the Film, because of the Hairstyles. So, if the trial took place right after the War, then Rolfe would have been old enough to fight in it.

[–] mike-2378 11 years ago

If he had been 12 in 1945 he was old enough to fight in it.

He most likely would have been a JAG officer during the war

[–] crlnrgbrght5 11 years ago

That's what I wasn't sure about. Whether the Movie was set in 1945, or the present which at that time was 1960.

[–] sandor-enckell 11 years ago

The caption at the start of the film states that the film takes place in 1948

[–] cwade22 10 years ago

Dude, please go look at history. The tribunals didn't go past 2-3 years! That means the time was right before 1950! Did you sleep through history class? Did you not know about these trials? They were shortly after 1945, and ended(all trials) before 1949. Most top hierarchy were executed. Only when AMERICA realized the SOVIET THREAT, did they start to back off of the Germans. We NEEDED the top nazis from the intelligence sectors in order to help spy on the Russians. Some of these nazis were SD and GESTAPO personnel. It's common sense to know this was only 1-3 years after 1945. The beginning if the film, THEY BLOW UP THE SWASTIKA at the Nuremberg stadium! That means FRESH AFTER THE END OF WAR! Please learn to pay attention to common sense details before asking a question. I just wasted 5 minutes when all you had to do was read history and watch the early part of the film.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] crlnrgbrght5 11 years ago

BTW, what is a JAG Officer?

[–] doug65oh 11 years ago

A JAG officer (in the United States military at least) is a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps - a military lawyer, essentially.

[–] crlnrgbrght5 11 years ago

Oh, Rolfe being a Military Lawyer, that's plausible.