Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Charlie H — 09 Aug 2017

12 Angry Men (1957) is about a lone juror who believes the accused to be not guilty under terms of reasonable doubt, when faced with 11 others who strongly disagree and the demand for a unanimous verdict.

It's the quintessential courtroom drama. 12 Angry Men's one location allows the personality conflicts between the jurors to provide the tension, making the film that much more powerful. A brilliant cast perform one of the best scripts ever written to perfection.

The case is debated incredibly thoroughly, absorbing the audience into the role of 13th armchair juror. It masquerades as an exploration of justice; it's a social examination at its core. The film scrupulously unpicks what the broad terms we continue to live by can mean to different people - the film has not dated a day in this sense.

12 Angry Men demands intelligence from its audience, and their patience is rewarded with rich, authentic dialogue. The audience hangs on every word. The film's pace is steady, allowing the impact of each interaction to hit the audience to the fullest extent.

It perfectly explores how "prejudice can obscure the truth", which seems to be Sidney Lumet's primary goal with this film. 12 Angry Men (1957) is a modern classic, and more importantly, a perfect examination of how individuals can act upon and re-think their prejudices.