7/31/2019 Reaction Paper_Judgment at Nuremberg

1/2Unasin, Zyby Caborubias USA LLB 2A 1

Genocide: A Crime Against Humanity(Judgment at Nuremberg)

This is not going to be fun. I thought to myself. It is an old movie, definitely

black and white and upon seeing that it is 2 hours and 59 minutes long, I already

dreaded the time that I will be watching the movie. It was Sunday night that I obtained a

copy of the movie but I have not watched it fully (and thankfully finished it) until Tuesday

night. I was so bored watching the first hour of the movie or maybe because my

attention was not in the movie at all but to other things that preoccupies my mind. As

the time goes by and the night falls quickly, I suddenly gave full attention to the movie

especially on the part of the trial that the video of the hundreds of dead, naked bodies

were shown. That time, I came to understand it and appreciate the story until the end.

The movie is centered on the trial of four judges during the Nazi regime in

Germany, who were accused of Crimes Against Humanity and a certain case,

"Feldenstein case." The film depicts how the chief judge (Judge Haywood) had gone

through the process of knowing German people, their views of the war and tried to

understand on why they have become deaf and blind to the Holocaust. He tried to

understand why those judges, especially Ernst Janning had passed decisions, verdicts

and sentences which eventually resulted in genocide. The judges had the dilemma of

whether or not to convict the accused since they were asked by the military to acquit

them (accused) so that the United States will get the support of Germany in the

upcoming war against Soviet Union. In the end, he (chief judge) eventually chooses

justice over patriotism.

7/31/2019 Reaction Paper_Judgment at Nuremberg

2/2Unasin, Zyby Caborubias USA LLB 2A 2

The trial as portrayed in the movie, as I believe has quite the same process that

of the present time in trying the case. It was quite unusual at first since there were

presence of interpreters and one cannot continuously express himself and should

contain his outbursts so that he may be quite understood by the other party as well. I

believe this is a unique part or substance in the International Law trials.

It is quite sad how can one (United States) think of acquitting defendants of a

very obvious crime ofgenocidewhich is caught in the tape, crystal clear. It is because

of their selfish reason of getting the sympathy and the support of Germans so that they

will have more alliances in the Cold War against Soviet Union. If in any case that Judge

Haywood chose patriotism over justice, then it would be absurd of him being a judge

since he is expected to give justice and not sympathy.

Getting the life of one is already illegal per se, how much more that of millions of

people? It was quite devastating that the mastermind of it all has not had the chance to

face the trial but as Judge Haywood has said, in a crime, whatever your participation

maybe, that of a principal, accomplice or accessory, you are still guilty of it. In the end,

the sorry of Janning was already useless because his sentence of death of one has led

to the death of millions.

And the Nuremberg trail has proven that nevertheless, above all, justice shall

prevail.