A Story of Justice and Relevance
New York, November 30 — John Slattery, known for his roles in Mad Men and Avengers, has shared his thoughts on the film Nuremberg, a legal drama that explores the pursuit of justice following World War II. The movie is based on real events and highlights the moral and ethical challenges faced by those involved in the Nuremberg Trials.
Slattery, 63, described the film as a story that resonates with current global events. “How more relevant could this movie be? I think the timing of it is sort of remarkable, given what’s occurring in the world,” he said during a recent Zoom interview. He emphasized that the film’s themes are not only historical but also deeply connected to today’s issues.
The film, directed by Jamie Vanderbilt, is an adaptation of Jack El-Hai’s book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. It follows the story of Robert Jackson (played by Michael Shannon), the chief U.S. prosecutor tasked with trying the surviving members of the Nazi regime responsible for the Holocaust. Rami Malek portrays Douglas Kelley, a U.S. Army psychiatrist who must determine whether former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (Russell Crowe) is fit to stand trial.
Slattery plays Colonel Burton C. Andrus, the commandant of Nuremberg Prison where Göring and other defendants were held before their trials. He described the process of preparing for the role as both challenging and enlightening.
“I read the script and then I read the book on which the script was based and then I read the book that the character I played wrote,” Slattery recalled. “It wasn’t hard to see how important it was to them for this trial to take place and how important it was to do it well and to not make any mistakes and to show the world what had occurred.”
He noted that the prosecutors had to set aside personal feelings to ensure fairness and humanity in their approach to the defendants. This contrasted sharply with the treatment of the millions of victims, most of whom were Jewish.
“It was a difficult assignment to say the least,” Slattery said. “It was an interesting challenge to tell that story in a responsible but, ultimately, entertaining way.”
Slattery highlighted the extensive research available on Andrus, which required him to “pick and choose” what to incorporate into his performance. “The movie’s not about my character, so I just had to find the things that stuck out that would make it so that you contribute to telling the story, primarily,” he explained.
He also mentioned the importance of balancing the narrative with entertainment. “But, also, it’s entertainment. You want to make the character stand out in a way that isn’t interfering with the telling of the story, but, also, is contributing to the dynamics.”
Slattery praised Vanderbilt as a collaborative and enjoyable director. “Fun to be with and funny as hell,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better experience.”
The film is currently in theaters, offering audiences a powerful reminder of the past and its relevance to the present.
