Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Seth S — 12 Oct 2013

Would you believe me if I told you that one of the best political dramas ever has 12 characters, and we don't even know their names? Would you believe me if I told you that a movie which rivals Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, all takes place in one room? Would you believe me if I told you that one of the best movies ever, is made with absolutely no frills? Well you better believe it, because 12 Angry Men does all those things and more.

The story is a fairly straight-forward one. A young man is on trial for murder. A quick glance at the evidence makes him look guilty. When the 12 jurors are locked into the room to find the verdict, the case seems completely open and shut. 11 of the 12 jurors vote that he is guilty, but all the jurors need to be in 100% agreement. One of the jurors is holding out. He thinks that there might be some reasonable doubt in this case. The 11 other jurors set out to convince the hold out that he is wrong. But who is actually right in this case? The 11 guilties, or the 1 not-guilty.

What starts out as a simple story, transforms into a very complex one. We see the facts of the case, presented to the audience clearly and in order. The movie shows almost all 12 of the jurors to be reasonable and thinking people. The people who wind up being wrong at the end of the movie are, at the time, justified for their guilty votes.

Henry Fonda leads the cast. He is incredibly strong in the role. He has played the same well-worn character many times. But he is still excellent. I would hope that if I was ever in his situation, I would do the same thing. The rest of the cast members all nail their parts. It's like watching a master class in acting. Every single one of the actors turns in a good performance. They are all wholly convincing in their roles. This might not be an all-star cast, but it is an ideal one. Some standouts are E.G. Marshall as studious Juror number 4, John Fielder as the mild-mannered Juror number 2, and Jack Warden as the tactless sports fan. The only slightly below par performance is the man who plays the older gentleman who backs up Fonda's character.

What makes this film-making feat even more impressive is that it is the talented Sidney Lumet directorial debut. Lumet would later go on to direct successes like Murder on the Orient Express, but 12 Angry Men will go down as his best. He makes the wise decision to cast 12 talented actors, lock them in a room with an excellent script, and stand back. His direction isn't in any way indulgent or self-serving. Right from the opening credits, the movie is made in the most minimal way.

There isn't much more that I have to say about this movie. It has stood tall the test of time. It's one of the most engaging movies I have ever seen. The cast members embody their characters. At 90 minutes, this is an easy movie for all to watch and enjoy. And while it doesn't quite measure up to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington levels of political movie power; 12 Angry Men still does everything above and beyond the established drama. If you haven't seen this movie, I cannot stress how strongly I recommend it.

"We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's sure." 10/10.