Synopsis

As World War II comes to an end, the hunt for Nazi war criminals begins in earnest in Allied-occupied Germany. Major Steve Arnold is assigned to investigate Wilhelm Furtwängler, a conductor revered as a god in Germany, who claims that he stayed in Germany during the war to bring comfort to the German people through music. Members of the orchestra also testify that he tried to save the lives of Jewish musicians. ... The Verdict is based on the real-life story of Wilhelm Furtwängler, who was the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra during the Nazi regime. Furtwängler gained worldwide fame for his genius and became a controversial figure after the war. The director presents arguments both for and against him, leaving the audience to reach their own verdict.

Director

István Szabó

Born in 1938 in Budapest, he graduated from the Academy of Drama and Film in 1961. His graduation film Concert was screened internationally. At the age of 26, he rose to prominence in Hungarian cinema with his first feature film, The Age of Daydream. He has been nominated for an Academy Award three times and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1981 with Mephisto.