12 Angry Men
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Movie Reviews of 12 Angry Men
Movie Review: Very important
Summary: 5 Stars
For a movie based mostly in the necessity for repetition and seeing both sides of the issue, it does not, like it would seem, make one tired of hearing the phrase "beyond a reasonable doubt." This is an issue of objectivity, the idea that has taken centuries of philosophers to finally understand doesn't exist in a subjective standpoint. I can say nothing about this film that isn't repeated, with full clarity, in the dialog under many different contexts. They hold a man's life in their hands, and in the process are going to learn a lot about what must go into the proof.
To be a bit honest, and a little hesitant, I must say that a lot of it strikes me as pretty liberal. I think this film is strongest when it doesn't get into politics, so the constant repetition of the phrase "bleeding heart" kind of gets to me. However, it's something of a necessity, because one of the things that these characters have to overcome is personal politics and prejudice to figure out where exactly to take a stand and where to leave be. And as a product of its time, it's immensely profound.
What I like most about it is that it is not a criticism of the American system, it's actually in full support of it. If it criticizes anything, it criticizes the people who take it aloofly and don't understand the power they hold when they operate within said system. Responsibility is something I personally find quite lacking currently, and it's nice to see a movie expound the virtues of personal responsibility towards lawful conduct. This does not mean falling into hegemonic status quo, for that would mean the boy dies because nobody takes the time to question him. This means making sure you understand what you know and what you can't know.
Beyond the writing itself, the directing and the acting really shine. It must be appallingly difficult to shoot an entire movie in such a small space, but Lumet does it superbly and the camera shows the audience EXACTLY what it needs to know when it needs to know it. It's art to be beheld. Also, all of the actors maintain their characters and the characters' mood swings amazingly, making it fluid and above all, very real.
--PolarisDiB
Movie Review: Rediscover this treasure
Summary: 5 Stars
Sidney Lumet makes a film from a script that essentially remains a radio play. Any criticism of this film will say that you can essentially hear it without watching it and you'll still get most of the information you need to understand the story. The film at times film like a real-time recording of a process and in a reality-TV society this feeling will be more immediate for today's viewers.
That may be true. But the strength of this film is that its filmic touches are so subtle as to be almost invisible and yet entirely successful. The occasional twitch of a nervous eye, the single drop of sweat on a calm forehead, the perceived pressure of walls closing in on the 12 anonymous characters.
CONTAINS SPOILERS:
In terms of story the whole concept is quite straightforward. 12 jurors are called in to decide on an 'open and shut' case of a young adult of unidentified ethnic origin. 11 of them start off convinced he's guilty and are confronted by the doubts of the only one of them who is not so certain the case is open and shut.
In the process of the discussion imposed by the single doubter they confront the natural concept of justice, the consitutional concept of burden of proof and social realities such as group prejudice, poverty and racial profiling.
The film remains oddly impartial and we are not quite sure who is 'wrong' or 'right' as such. It may very well be that the final verdict of not guilty liberated a patricidal murdered. The only encouragement we are given by the juror who leads the doubters is that "it's possible" the boy is really guilty. But it's also possible he isn't and the prospect of putting an innocent man to death is even more horrifying.
Perhaps a contemporary American audience should think about the viability of the death penalty while watching this film. It is possible for any verdict to be wrong even in a case that may look like an open and shut case: after all "it's possible the defence lawyer is stupid", "it's possible the eye witnesses are wrong" and it's possible that the jurors selected to judge their peer may be governed by prejudices they are not themselves aware of.
Movie Review: 12 Angry Men
Summary: 5 Stars
One of my all time favorite movies. Should be required viewing for every high school student . It is a first rate example of how we bring our beliefs our experinces and our temperments to the jury system.Where would each of us fit in. No.1 the leader tries to keep order stays calm as the tension grows. No.2 mild mannered but shows he's tougher than first thought. No.3 sees everything in black and white unwilling to believe he could be wrong. His blustry attitude masks deep pain. No 4. controlled and methodical,until another jurors out burst causes him to take control when no one else will. No 5 came up the hard way and brings important imformation no one else could know about. No.6 protective of the defensless in time this attitude makes him view the case in a diffent light. No.7 he will do anything if he can just get out of there. No.8 he's the lone holdout,he takes his duty seriously and wants everyone else to do the same after all someones life is on the line.No.9The first one to admit he may have voted wrong and is both humble enough and brave enough to admit it. He is also one of the more observant members of the jury which is displayed throughout the movie .No10 alot like no.3 but less pivotal and his attiude more just the way he is no layer of pain is noticed. N0.11 reminds us all of the importance of jury duty and why we should want to serve and do a good job as an immigrant he undrstands what the rest of us all to often take fo granted- the system is us we can't ignore that even though we too often want to and do. N0.12 is pretty annoying and really does not offer much to the proceedings but does the right thing. See yourself in any of these men? If your like me you most likely see yourself in more than one of them and the actors to their credit help us see ourselfs and make us think. Fonda gives us an intense but not overplayed proformance.Cobb is his perfect opposite he chews the scenery but it hits all the right marks . Everyone else is somewhere in between. A first rate cast.Check it out if you've never seen it, you have see it again you will not be sorry.Movie Review: A masterpiece of great acting
Summary: 5 Stars
TWELVE ANGRY MEN is unique in being one of the few films based on a television screenplay. The movie developed out of Reginald Rose's 1954 teleplay for "Studio One," and was just a critical success that it was filmed for general film release in 1957.This film is all about one thing: great acting. The plot itself is as simple as any in the movies: a jury convenes to render its verdict in a murder trial. The initial vote is eleven guilty and one not guilty. The remainder of the movie consists of the lone not guilty overcoming the prejudices, the biases, and the inner personal demons of the other eleven.
The ostensible star of the film is Henry Fonda, but all twelve actors do stunning jobs in their respective roles, and the way that these twelve extremely distinct personalities interact is one of the great joys of the film. The film ends up a character study, as the moral and emotional make up of each individual is reveals as each personal reveals his reasons for defending his guilty or not guilty vote. Many of the actors were stalwarts of the American stage. Henry Fonda is best known as a film actor, but he frequently in his career made trips back to the stage. Lee J. Cobb made nearly a hundred films, but far and away his greatest achievements were on stage, in particular in arguably the greatest role in an American stage play in the 20th century: creating the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN. E. G. Marshall is another actor familiar on screen, but whose greatest work was in theater. The same is true of Martin Balsam and Jack Warden, who made his film debut in this movie. But it isn't fair to do anything but praise all twelve actors. Every single one leaves his mark on this film.
Any fan of great cinema or great acting needs to see this film.
There was later a first rate recreation of this film in color done for cable TV. Jack Lemmon capably performed the Henry Fonda role and George C. Scott one. Not quite as good as the original, but still exceedingly watchable.
Movie Review: Entertaining, Educating and Stimulating...A Timeless Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Throughout its deceptively short 1 1/2 hours, "12 Angry Men" keeps the viewer captivated with the simple story of the deliberations from a young man's murder trial. Director Sidney Lumet does a fantastic job of keeping us involved in what amounts to a filmed play, held in the confines of a medium-sized room. He manipulates the ebb and flow of tension (and what tension!) brilliantly, never leaving any doubt as to the title of the picture. The camera moves nimbly among the actors playing the jury, and provides a great illusion of action in what is really a static atmosphere. Henry Fonda heads the ensemble cast of solid actors; the team of men deliver memorable performances. By movie's end, you'll have a definite sense of each character. It's truly wondrous how all involved take an ultimately limited tale and infuse it with a life that lasts far beyond 1957. The film retains an uncanny vitality, and remains provoking to this day.(A bit of trivia: Fans of "The Odd Couple" TV series might remember an early episode that uses "12 Angry Men" as the basis for a story about how "Felix" and "Oscar" met. Part of the humor was, of course, that "Oscar," Jack Klugman, had a role in the classic film.)
MGM is starting to put out a series of releases that it calls "Vintage Classics." Despite the reverence of this label, they seem not to value the films' cinematic significance very much. Although this DVD displays an excellent picture and contains good sound (for its age), the movie house hasn't seen fit to equip it with any special features. Indeed, this seems to be par for the course with the "Vintage Classics." The ONLY supplement included with "12 Angry Men" is a trailer. They don't even provide a booklet! Nevertheless, considering the DVD's technical strengths, the greatness of the film itself, and the price of the product, I don't hesitate to make this "12 Angry Men" disc a hearty recommendation.