7. Judgment At Nuremberg
One of the most important courtroom dramas ever made, 1961's Judgment At Nuremberg focuses on the prosecution of four Nazi judges by an American court in Germany. The film begins in 1948, as Judge Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy), who is part of a three judge panel overseeing the Nazi Judges, drives through the ruins of Nuremberg. The opening credits end with a Nazi swastika on top of a building exploding, signifying the destruction of the Third Reich. He comments that this is where the Nazis held their rallies, but now it's all gone. This introduction does a fine job of establishing a time and place, which is in the aftermath of an entire movement's almost complete destruction. The film is a exploration of accountability regarding the Holocaust and the way in which men in power use their power for unspeakable evil. The film also asks how something like the Holocaust could've happened and why the German people do nothing while it was happening. With his usual quiet dignity, Tracy creates a thoughtful portrayal of a man who, instead of letting the judges off easily to gain support from Germany in the Cold War, sentences them to life in prison. The film features an amazing roster of actors, from Tracy to Burt Lancaster, Maximilian Schell, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland. William Shatner even has a small role, five years before Star Trek debuted.