Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Hugh R — 07 Mar 2015

In the thrilling drama 12 Angry Men, a young man has been accused of murder and his fate rests in the hands of the twelve jurors chosen to oversee the trial. The young man's lawyer doesn't seem to care about his guilt or innocence. The evidence seems condemning in the extreme. There does not seem to be any reason that the jury should be more than a few minutes in deciding his guilt and then...off to the electric chair he will go. Then one juror (Fonda) has the courage to voice his doubts about the case and the evidence presented. Standing firm against all opposition he exposes the faults in the case and attempts to convince the other men in the room of his sincerity...and the young man's innocence.

Henry Fonda plays a Doubting Thomas who must convince his eleven fellow jurors of the innocence, or reasonable doubt of guilt, of a young man accused of murder. In their deliberations he must expose the hateful (Lee Cobb), move the indifferent (Martin Balsam, Jack Warden, and Robert Webber), convince the reasonable (John Fiedler and Ed Binns), sway the coldly logical (E.G. Marshall), inspire the weak (Jack Klugman), shame the bigoted (Ed Begley), and return pride to men of honor (Joseph Sweeney and George Voskovec). This movie is a truly amazing example of character study, superb acting, and a flawless script. It features some of the most talented actors to ever grace the silver screen and it is a film for the ages. If you enjoy suspenseful courtroom drama then this movie is a must see. Five stars.