In the shadowed aftermath of World War II, the Nuremberg Trials emerged as a beacon of justice, where the Allies confronted the architects of unimaginable horror. The film Nuremberg, directed by James Vanderbilt, captures this pivotal moment with unflinching intensity. At its core is the unyielding chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, portrayed by Michael Shannon, who leads the charge against the Nazi regime’s unveiled atrocities of the Holocaust. Meanwhile, a U.S. Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) engages in a tense psychological showdown with the cunning former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe). It’s a story of moral reckoning, hypocrisy, and the fragile pursuit of accountability—one that feels eerily resonant in today’s fractured world.
Part 2 of the Interview:
At the AFI Film Festival, AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen caught up with Vanderbilt and Shannon in a lively discussion that spanned the film’s 13-year journey to the screen, the weight of historical roles, and the lessons that echo far beyond the courtroom. What unfolded was not just an interview, but a reflection on history’s shadows and humanity’s resolve.
Salfen kicked things off with enthusiasm, noting the film’s timeliness. Vanderbilt, ever the storyteller, shared how it all began over a decade ago. “It’s been a long journey for me,” he recalled. “Thirteen years ago, I read the book proposal from Jack El-Hai, and it was the fastest I’ve ever said yes to anything in my life. I thought it was timely then, and I certainly think it’s timely now—and unfortunately, it’s going to be timely in the future.”
Shannon, fresh off portraying a Supreme Court justice and the President of the United States in recent roles, jumped in with a grin. “I’ve had quite a run last year,” he said. “So I don’t think anybody saw that coming.” Salfen joked about completing the trifecta with a legislative role—a senator, perhaps, or even a comptroller. But for Shannon, stepping into Jackson’s shoes was an honor. “I felt very privileged to even attempt to walk in Mr. Jackson’s shoes. He’s quite a heroic gentleman.”
The conversation delved deeper into the film’s themes, particularly the pervasive hypocrisy that threads through the narrative. Salfen highlighted Shannon’s powerful lines, especially in a scene with the Pope. Shannon elaborated, pointing out how the film exposes double standards across nations. “The hypocrisy is across the board,” he explained. “You hear it not just when I’m talking to the Pope, but when Göring confronts Kelly about what the United States has done, or when Richard E. Grant’s David Maxwell-Fyfe points out that England did the same as Germany. It’s ‘let he who has not sinned cast the first stone’—but that doesn’t mean you let it go.” He invoked Jackson’s opening argument: “We stand here today to condemn Nazis, but let’s be clear: No matter who does this, when they do it, wherever they do it, it’s wrong. That’s a message worth repeating as much as possible.”
Salfen, drawing from his own family history—his grandfather was a colonel in World War II—asked what they hoped audiences would take away. Vanderbilt referenced a pearl of wisdom from collaborator David Fincher: “Good movies make you ask questions. Bad movies give you all the answers.” He hoped Nuremberg would spark curiosity about history and the present. “We have to look backwards in order to move forward,” he said. “But the great thing about movies is it belongs to the audience.”
Shannon found inspiration in Jackson’s tenacity. “I find the movie very inspirational—Robert Jackson’s relentless pursuit of what he thought was right,” he shared. “There’s a lot of discouragement in the world right now. People are upset about the state of things but don’t know how to affect it. Jackson is a prime example of somebody who refuses to believe he can’t change things.”
Behind the scenes, the production was a whirlwind of period authenticity. Salfen inquired about staying focused amid the chaos of sets and costumes. Vanderbilt emphasized preparation: “It’s all about the conversations everyone has before—me and the crew, the first A.D., the DP, knowing how to shoot it.” For Shannon, the courtroom set in Hungary was transformative. “It was one of the most incredible sets I’d ever been on, not just the detail in recreating it, but the hundreds of Hungarian extras. That country has been through a lot between fascists and communists. To see how moved they were… that was enough motivation to give it everything I had.”
As the chat wrapped up, Salfen praised Shannon’s performance and teased a future live music gig in Austin—Shannon’s band is headed there next year. With thanks exchanged, the interview left a lingering sense of urgency. Nuremberg isn’t just a retelling of history; it’s a mirror to our own era, urging us to question, persist, and hold the powerful accountable. As Vanderbilt and Shannon’s words remind us, some stories demand to be told—and retold—for the sake of tomorrow. Keep an eye on this one; it’s bound to ignite conversations that bridge the past and the present.
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