It's a classic tale, told by director Giulio Ricciarelli with a fine eye for period detail and a welcome air of restraint.

Fehling does a fine job as Radmann, who also carries a heavy weight, as a cypher for all the Germans who did not want to know what their fathers did in the war.

Such a subject deserves a more rigorous treatment.

Being based on a true story, this respectful and studious re-creation of what became a landmark case in the German courts rarely puts a foot wrong.