James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg delivers a haunting psychological thriller wrapped in historical drama. Starring Rami Malek as army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley and Russell Crowe as Nazi leader Hermann Göring, the film asks a chilling question: Can you study evil without becoming consumed by it? The devastating answer arrives in the film’s final moments—no, you cannot.
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Nuremberg Psychological Battlefield
Set in 1945 post-WWII Germany, Dr. Douglas Kelley arrives at Nuremberg to evaluate imprisoned Nazi leaders ahead of the international tribunal led by Judge Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon). His official task is monitoring inmates’ mental states, but Kelley harbors a deeper ambition: understanding how ordinary men rationalize genocide to prevent future atrocities.
| Character | Actor | Role | Psychological Arc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Kelley | Rami Malek | Army Psychiatrist | Confident researcher → Broken observer |
| Hermann Göring | Russell Crowe | Hitler’s Deputy | Charming manipulator masking monstrous acts |
| Robert H. Jackson | Michael Shannon | Chief Prosecutor | Demands evidence over ethics |
What Kelley expects—a broken, remorseful prisoner—collides violently with reality. Göring emerges as a brilliant manipulator who deflects responsibility, insisting he merely served his country. Their sessions transform into intellectual combat where the psychiatrist gradually loses his detachment.
The Mind Game That Destroys Kelley
The film’s genius lies in showing evil not as supernatural but disturbingly human. Göring’s charisma and intelligence make him relatable, which terrifies Kelley. As their conversations deepen, the psychiatrist realizes that monstrosity stems from pride, power, and self-deception—traits anyone possesses.
According to historical records available through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the real Nuremberg Trials established crucial precedents for international law. However, Nuremberg focuses on the psychological toll these encounters exact on those seeking to comprehend incomprehensible cruelty.
Kelley becomes trapped between medical ethics and moral necessity. Justice Jackson pressures him for trial ammunition, but extracting information means engaging with Göring’s twisted logic. The psychiatrist’s fascination grows unsettling as he recognizes that understanding evil requires proximity to it—a proximity that corrodes the soul.
Justice Denied: Göring’s Final Victory
The trial culminates in Göring’s conviction and death sentence. Yet before execution, he swallows a hidden cyanide pill, robbing both the tribunal and Kelley of closure. This suicide represents Göring’s final act of control, denying everyone the satisfaction of seeing justice fully served.
For Kelley, it’s catastrophic. His quest for understanding ends not in revelation but despair. He realizes Göring’s monstrous actions weren’t products of insanity but ordinary human choices pushed to cruel extremes. The psychiatrist who entered Nuremberg confident and analytical leaves broken, haunted by the uncomfortable truth that evil isn’t exceptional—it’s accessible to anyone under certain conditions.
The Film’s Timeless Warning
Nuremberg closes on a sobering note that resonates 80 years after the actual trials. The arrogance, hatred, and indifference that fueled Nazi atrocities haven’t disappeared—they’ve merely evolved. The film argues these dangers persist today, making Kelley’s psychological unraveling a cautionary tale about confronting darkness without proper safeguards.
The historical drama genre often sanitizes difficult truths, but Vanderbilt’s approach refuses easy answers. By centering on Kelley’s moral disintegration rather than courtroom heroics, the film acknowledges that some knowledge comes at unbearable cost.
The ending answers its central question definitively: Kelley cannot emerge untouched. His work doesn’t break him because he agrees with Göring but because he witnesses how easily people justify the unforgivable. That recognition—that we’re all capable of moral compromise under pressure—destroys his certainty about human nature.
In examining psychological thrillers based on true events, Nuremberg stands out for its unflinching portrayal of how studying evil can infect the studier. The film reminds us that some battles leave no victors, only survivors carrying permanent scars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Hermann Göring really commit suicide at Nuremberg?
Yes, the film accurately depicts Göring’s suicide. On October 15, 1946, just hours before his scheduled execution, Hermann Göring swallowed a cyanide capsule he’d hidden throughout his imprisonment. His death denied prosecutors and victims the full closure of seeing him executed as sentenced, making it his final act of defiance against Allied justice.
Is Dr. Douglas Kelley based on a real person?
Yes, Douglas M. Kelley was the actual U.S. Army psychiatrist assigned to evaluate Nazi prisoners at Nuremberg. He conducted extensive interviews with Göring and other defendants, later writing about his experiences. Tragically, Kelley died by suicide in 1958 using cyanide, mirroring Göring’s method—a haunting parallel that suggests his work left lasting psychological damage.
