Hermann Göring's Charisma: A Nightmare in the Making
Hermann Göring, one of the most infamous Nazis to be prosecuted during the Nuremberg trials, was a complex individual. On the surface, he seemed charming and charismatic, with a penchant for singing and a love for his family. However, this charm belied a sinister nature that would ultimately lead to his downfall.
The film Nuremberg, directed by James Vanderbilt, brings Göring's story to life on the big screen. Russell Crowe plays the titular character, while Rami Malek stars as Douglas Kelley, the psychiatrist who interviewed and assessed Göring prior to the trials. Michael Shannon takes on the role of Robert Jackson, the American supreme court justice who led the prosecution.
Malek has spoken about his initial reaction to playing Kelley. "When I was playing a Bond villain, I used to remind myself, 'He's an evil human being.' Then I started to question those thoughts." He notes that Göring's charm and charisma made him even more terrifying, as he wasn't the typical villainous figure. "He loved his wife and kids – which to me makes him even more terrifying," Malek says.
Shannon witnessed Crowe's electrifying performance in the role of Göring. "Russell really took the note about Göring being a charming man," he says. "Some of the people playing the other members of the Nazi high command didn't even have lines but he always made them feel like a group."
The film also explores themes of empathy and the dangers of not seeing evil for what it is. Kelley's character was haunted by his discovery that the Nazis' atrocities were not unique to their time and place, but could happen anywhere. This realization ultimately destroyed him.
Shannon believes that audiences should see Nuremberg as mandatory viewing. "It ought to be mandatory viewing," he says. "Everybody should see the film, and everybody should think about what happened, because it has huge relevance to what's happening now." However, he also notes that the film is a piece of entertainment, and its message should be received with empathy rather than fear.
Vanderbilt has spoken about his approach to making Nuremberg. "I wrote that line in 2014," he points out when asked about Göring's infamous quote about Hitler making Germany feel whole again. The line may seem ominous now, but it was written before the rise of the MAGA movement. Vanderbilt believes that all good drama speaks to us about where we are now.
However, some critics have noted the film's timing, given the recent surge in fascist ideologies and the seeming normalcy of such views in modern society. Malek has spoken about this, saying that "Hitler made us feel German again" is a haunting line that is shattering in its simplicity. He notes that the line is reminiscent of a more recent slogan used by some politicians.
Shannon takes a darker view, describing the experience of life in the US today as "a nightmare." He believes that Americans are "suckers for this charm," and that we need to be taken care of rather than entertained. "The danger exists outside of this movie," he says gravely. "We are suckers for this charm. It's going to be our downfall, it seems."
Ultimately, Nuremberg is a powerful warning about the dangers of not seeing evil for what it is, and the importance of empathy in times of crisis. While its release may seem timely given the current climate, Vanderbilt's intention was always to create a thought-provoking drama that speaks to us about where we are now.
Hermann Göring, one of the most infamous Nazis to be prosecuted during the Nuremberg trials, was a complex individual. On the surface, he seemed charming and charismatic, with a penchant for singing and a love for his family. However, this charm belied a sinister nature that would ultimately lead to his downfall.
The film Nuremberg, directed by James Vanderbilt, brings Göring's story to life on the big screen. Russell Crowe plays the titular character, while Rami Malek stars as Douglas Kelley, the psychiatrist who interviewed and assessed Göring prior to the trials. Michael Shannon takes on the role of Robert Jackson, the American supreme court justice who led the prosecution.
Malek has spoken about his initial reaction to playing Kelley. "When I was playing a Bond villain, I used to remind myself, 'He's an evil human being.' Then I started to question those thoughts." He notes that Göring's charm and charisma made him even more terrifying, as he wasn't the typical villainous figure. "He loved his wife and kids – which to me makes him even more terrifying," Malek says.
Shannon witnessed Crowe's electrifying performance in the role of Göring. "Russell really took the note about Göring being a charming man," he says. "Some of the people playing the other members of the Nazi high command didn't even have lines but he always made them feel like a group."
The film also explores themes of empathy and the dangers of not seeing evil for what it is. Kelley's character was haunted by his discovery that the Nazis' atrocities were not unique to their time and place, but could happen anywhere. This realization ultimately destroyed him.
Shannon believes that audiences should see Nuremberg as mandatory viewing. "It ought to be mandatory viewing," he says. "Everybody should see the film, and everybody should think about what happened, because it has huge relevance to what's happening now." However, he also notes that the film is a piece of entertainment, and its message should be received with empathy rather than fear.
Vanderbilt has spoken about his approach to making Nuremberg. "I wrote that line in 2014," he points out when asked about Göring's infamous quote about Hitler making Germany feel whole again. The line may seem ominous now, but it was written before the rise of the MAGA movement. Vanderbilt believes that all good drama speaks to us about where we are now.
However, some critics have noted the film's timing, given the recent surge in fascist ideologies and the seeming normalcy of such views in modern society. Malek has spoken about this, saying that "Hitler made us feel German again" is a haunting line that is shattering in its simplicity. He notes that the line is reminiscent of a more recent slogan used by some politicians.
Shannon takes a darker view, describing the experience of life in the US today as "a nightmare." He believes that Americans are "suckers for this charm," and that we need to be taken care of rather than entertained. "The danger exists outside of this movie," he says gravely. "We are suckers for this charm. It's going to be our downfall, it seems."
Ultimately, Nuremberg is a powerful warning about the dangers of not seeing evil for what it is, and the importance of empathy in times of crisis. While its release may seem timely given the current climate, Vanderbilt's intention was always to create a thought-provoking drama that speaks to us about where we are now.
. The way they portrayed Göring's charisma is so haunting, you can see why Kelley was both fascinated and terrified by him 
. Russell Crowe's performance as Göring is chilling, but Rami Malek's portrayal of Kelley is what really got me – it's like he's trying to tell us that this kind of charm is a recipe for disaster 
.
. It's like we're seeing ourselves in him, or in Kelley's character, where can't we see the evil lurking beneath the surface? 
. I just hope people take this film seriously and think about what it's really trying to say, because if they don't... well, let's just say we're all in trouble 
, and it totally freaked me out how charismatic Hermann Göring was on screen - all charming and whatnot, but also super creepy 
. But what really got me thinking is how easy it is to be fooled by people's charm and charisma, like Rami Malek said about his character Douglas Kelley... I feel like that's something we should all learn from this movie 
. And can we talk about how relevant this movie is right now? It's like, the message is still so important, even if it was written before the MAGA movement 
.
it's soooo intense! hermann Göring is literally creepy but also really likable at the same time 
rami malek did an amazing job playing kelley, he's like a total genius 
but what really gets me is how the film makes u think about empathy and not judging ppl based on looks or charisma 
and honestly i don't know if it's possible to watch this now without feeling a little anxious about the state of our country 
but at the same time i think that's exactly what vanderbilt wanted us to feel 
. And I completely agree with Shannon that we're living in a nightmare 
, this film is more relevant now than ever 
. The line "Hitler made us feel German again" gives me the heebie-jeebies 
, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion – you know it's gonna be bad for you but you can't look away 
. But what really gets me is the eerie feeling that we're living in a similar era, where the same kind of charisma and charm can be used to mask evil intentions 
, it's for everyone who values empathy and humanity 
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The way the film explores empathy and how people can be blind to evil is soooo relevant right now. 
It's like, he's trying to tell us something important without being preachy. 
. And can we talk about how prophetic some of this feels? Like, Vanderbilt said he wrote that line before the rise of MAGA... it's wild to think that Göring's quote could be used against us now 
And can we talk about Russell Crowe's performance as the guy who's all like "Hey guys, let's prosecute some Nazis"? He brought the whole thing together like a big ol' bowl of chicken noodle soup 
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michael shannon's speech about the danger of not seeing evil for what it is is giving me LIFE 
IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU'RE SITTING NEXT TO A FRIEND WHO ALWAYS SEEMS SO NICE BUT THEN THEY SAY SOMETHING THAT JUST MAKES YOUR BLOOD RUSH 
I'm not saying it's just about the past, but our current state of affairs feels eerily similar to what was happening during those times... 
It's all about empathy and understanding, if we don't learn from history, we'll be doomed to repeat it, you know? 
. the film's message that we need to see evil for what it is and be empathetic towards those who are being manipulated is more relevant now than ever 
. The way Russell Crowe brings Hermann Göring to life is so captivating, but also super terrifying 
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. He's trying to make us think about where we are now and the dangers of not recognizing evil when we see it 
. So grab some popcorn, watch this film, and think about where we're going from here...