Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Devin M — 01 Sep 2014

Captivating, suspenseful drama surrounding a jury that seems hell-bent on sending a young boy to the electric chair but soon finds itself slowly succumbing to the cool rationality of a single man who believes there is reasonable doubt of his guilt.

The vast majority of the film takes places in a single room in which the 12 jurors must determine the guiltiness of this boy. At the start, the men vote 11-1 that the boy is guilty. Throughout the course of the movie, the single dissident slowly reveals his reservations and gradually persuades the other impatient men to see that the case is not as cut-and-dry as it seems. While the monotony in setting can become a bit tiresome, the movie remains addictive and all-consuming as we learn more and more about the case as well as the interesting collection of jurors, each with their own back story and unique personality. The drama and tension that builds with each new layer of information the audience receives largely makes up for some of the peculiarities of the old filming style and the rare dull or repetitive moment.

I feel that this movie has certainly stood the test of time and can still be considered a great movie due to its excellent portrayal of the gripping drama of life and death that unfolds when another's life is placed in the hands of 12 angry men.