12 Angry Men
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Movie Reviews of 12 Angry Men
Movie Review: A True Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
12 Angry Men is a movie that everyone should see at some point in their lives. For those of you who have never heard of it, here is a synopsis: After hearing a fairly "open and shut" trial about a boy who is accused of murdering his father, the 12 jurors have to decide whether or not to convict the kid. A conviction will mean the death penalty. Acquittal means putting a potentially dangerous teenager from the bad part of town back on the streets. 11 of the 12 jurors immediately vote to convict the kid. But Juror # 8 (Henry Fonda) votes in favor of "Not Guilty". While he isn't convinced that the kid is guilty, he also is not convinced that the defendent is innocent either. He merely wants to discuss the trial before sending the kid to the electric chair. He is met with hostility by the other jurors who want to get back to their lives. But, he keeps at it, and the result is a movie fueled by great dialogue and brilliant acting.
The 12 jurors go over the details of the case, trying to find the truth of the matter. They discuss the witnesses and whether some things they testified to could be exaggerated. They bicker at each other about personal bias and each other's motives. By the end, each juror will find themselves questioning what they once believed to be fact, and they reevaluate some prior prejudices.
While Fonda definitely carries the movie, the other 11 men do extremely well in their supporting roles. Ed Begely and Lee J. Cobb are great as the two ignorant men who want to put the kid to death no matter what, while John Fielder (the voice of Piglet in Disney's Winne the Pooh films) is great as the timid banker who tends to get pushed around by the other jurors. Also, Jack Warden does a great job as the juror who will do anything to get out as soon as possible in order to get to a ballgame.
This is a classic movie that should be on everyone's list of movies to see.
Movie Review: What Really Goes on in that Back Room
Summary: 5 Stars
"12 Angry Men" is an all time classic. It outshines all of the modern movies that have focused on court drama because it does what no other movie can do. It accurately informs the viewer of the movie about what really goes on in the back room where the jurors of a case discuss the trial and also gives a lesson on human nature. The movie is about a court case in which a young man is accused of killing his father. The movie picks up at the end of the hearing, right before the jurors go back into that back room. Of the 12 men that made up the jury, all but one man thought that the defendant was guilty. The man that thinks that the accused murderer is innocent is all by himself and over the course of this enthralling movie, we see how one man can overcome a majority and bring about what may be the truth.One of the great things about "12 Angry Men" is that it shows human nature at its best. 12 men are given the task of deciding whether or not a young man is guilty of murder. On man, as stated above, thinks that the defendant is inncoent of the crime. As the movie progresses the man that believes that the accused is innocent is the only man that will talk about the case and share his opinions. He uses logic and his own beliefs to prove what he wants to prove. The other 11 men start to think about what has been said and they start talking about the case. This is what shows human nature. This film shows that it takes just one person to help bring about the right way in doing something.
This is a classic that nobody that is interested in the judicial branch should miss. After watching this film you get a good feeling inside because this is an all around great film. I strongly recommend this film because it gives accurate information on the jury system and reveals some information on human nature and physcology. I insist that you see this film, it is really worth it.
Happy Viewing!
Movie Review: classic film
Summary: 5 Stars
amazingly this was the great sydney lumet's directorial debut.this is a great film that epitomizes perfection and deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest films ever made.i've never seen another film ever showing the jury process before and this one does just that.the entire film,with the exception of the very beginning and very end,takes place in the jury room.once they go to the men's room for a couple of minutes but otherwise the bulk is in this one particular room,creating a bit of claustrophobia.the building isn't air conditioned and the rooms fan doesn't work,both adding extra tension.than comes to voting for the 18yr. old puerto rican kid who stands trial for murdering his father.if they find him guilty than he will be sentenced to death.before the vote we get to learn about each of the 12 jurors.there's a hot-head who hasn't spoken to his son in 2 years,there's one who has a cold,another is self involved,another has tickets to that nights baseball game,another seems to be passive,there's an old man, another who seems to be a perfectionist, and there's a latino.the rest can go either way.they all vote guilty except for one and the story takes off from there.a great cast,all are great.henry fonda believed in this film so much that he put up $350,000 of his own money to see it get made,seeing as how noone wanted to touch it-big suprise.how unfortunate it is that even back than movie studio executives only thought of profits instead of integrity and vision.fortunately today there are independent companies out there putting out films.you might have to put a little effort into finding out about them,but as this film shows,it definitely is worth it.give me a 100 more films like this over another "fast and the furious" any day.if you can be entertained with films without having to see explosions,car chases and people getting shot to death than this film is a must-see.Movie Review: the elusive truth
Summary: 5 Stars
Having recently had a jury duty experience that was equally as contentious as the one depicted in "Twelve Angry Men," I found this film fascinating, and one that maintains its interest because of the taut, well written script (by Reginald Rose, based on his play for TV), and some of the finest character actors of mid-20th century cinema, and though Henry Fonda was a big star when this was made in 1957, he blends in to be part of what is essentially an ensemble acting piece.
Practically the entire film is set in the single jury room, on a hot and humid day, with these twelve incredibly diverse men, and shows how their backgrounds color how they arrive at their conclusions. Truth is very elusive in this case, and it's a matter of questioning if there is "reasonable doubt."
There are many things that point out how times have changed in 50 years; it has been decades since a jury would be chosen that would only consist of white men, and a few years since a table full of ashtrays with cigarette butts would be allowed, but the basic truths remain the same, and if one places twelve strangers to come to a verdict in a difficult case, tempers are going to flare. The hot head in this film is Juror # 3, Lee J. Cobb, who sees the events through the lens of his relationship with his son, and he gives a fiery performance, but each actor has a lot to contribute to the success of this film.
This was the first feature film in Sidney Lumet's long career, and he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar; the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, but lost in all three categories to David Lean's "Bridge on the River Kwai." Lumet was to work with Fonda again in '64 with the riveting cold war thriller (and my favorite Lumet film) "Fail-Safe," which also had in its cast Juror # 6, Ed Binns.
Total running time is 96 minutes.
Movie Review: A Classic with Brains
Summary: 5 Stars
Now this movie represents everything a classic should be. Not only was it well directed, it was also very well written and has superb acting. "12 Angry Men" is a great film that never gets boring and never loses its impact.The story's pretty simple. The film is about a murder case that accuses a teenager of murdering his father. The evidence against him is overwhelming. When it comes to deciding the verdict in the Jury Room, eleven jurors think the boy's "guilty" without any hesitation. There is one, however, who believes there's a chance that the boy is innocent. It's up to one juror to convince the other eleven of why he believes the way he does in this explosive drama with brains.
I really do consider this a great film. I liked it when I first saw it in high school, and I like it now in my early twenties. It has a solid script, breath-taking acting, and an authentic look and feel to it. Sure, there's some dramatics to it all and some of the dialogue can be wishy-washy at times, but for the most part I think it's pretty solid.
The DVD doesn't have much to offer since it is an old film. The picture and sound quality is pretty good considering how long ago the film was made. There is an original theatrical trailer included but that's about it. It would be nice to see this film get the "special edition" treatment and I believe that its time will come.
"12 Angry Men" is a great film that I really enjoy. Sure, not everybody's going to like it. For those who like films with more action in it will most likely want to pass on it. If you don't like it when a movie takes place in one room for the majority of the time there's a chance you may not be impressed as well. If you're looking for a classic b&w film with a great script and fabulous acting, I recommend "12 Angry Men." It is something I can watch numerous times.