12 Angry Men
starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall
directed by: Sidney Lumet
directed by: Sidney Lumet
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Product Description:
Studio: Tcfhe/mgmRelease Date: 05/20/2008Run time: 96 minutes
Amazon.com essential video:
Sidney Lumet's directorial debut remains a tense, atmospheric (though slightly manipulative and stagy) courtroom thriller, in which the viewer never sees a trial and the only action is verbal. As he does in his later corruption commentaries such as Serpico or Q & A, Lumet focuses on the lonely one-man battles of a protagonist whose ethics alienate him from the rest of jaded society. As the film opens, the seemingly open-and-shut trial of a young Puerto Rican accused of murdering his father with a knife has just concluded and the 12-man jury retires to their microscopic, sweltering quarters to decide the verdict. When the votes are counted, 11 men rule guilty, while one--played by Henry Fonda, again typecast as another liberal, truth-seeking hero--doubts the obvious. Stressing the idea of "reasonable doubt," Fonda slowly chips away at the jury, who represent a microcosm of white, male society--exposing the prejudices and preconceptions that directly influence the other jurors' snap judgments. The tight script by Reginald Rose (based on his own teleplay) presents each juror vividly using detailed soliloquies, all which are expertly performed by the film's flawless cast. Still, it's Lumet's claustrophobic direction--all sweaty close-ups and cramped compositions within a one-room setting--that really transforms this contrived story into an explosive and compelling nail-biter. --Dave McCoy
Studio: Tcfhe/mgmRelease Date: 05/20/2008Run time: 96 minutes
Amazon.com essential video:
Sidney Lumet's directorial debut remains a tense, atmospheric (though slightly manipulative and stagy) courtroom thriller, in which the viewer never sees a trial and the only action is verbal. As he does in his later corruption commentaries such as Serpico or Q & A, Lumet focuses on the lonely one-man battles of a protagonist whose ethics alienate him from the rest of jaded society. As the film opens, the seemingly open-and-shut trial of a young Puerto Rican accused of murdering his father with a knife has just concluded and the 12-man jury retires to their microscopic, sweltering quarters to decide the verdict. When the votes are counted, 11 men rule guilty, while one--played by Henry Fonda, again typecast as another liberal, truth-seeking hero--doubts the obvious. Stressing the idea of "reasonable doubt," Fonda slowly chips away at the jury, who represent a microcosm of white, male society--exposing the prejudices and preconceptions that directly influence the other jurors' snap judgments. The tight script by Reginald Rose (based on his own teleplay) presents each juror vividly using detailed soliloquies, all which are expertly performed by the film's flawless cast. Still, it's Lumet's claustrophobic direction--all sweaty close-ups and cramped compositions within a one-room setting--that really transforms this contrived story into an explosive and compelling nail-biter. --Dave McCoy
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - A Classic Among Classics
Ok, you have 12 guys that spend the entire movies huddled in a small jury discussion room and do nothing but talk for 90 min.How is that interesting?Let me tell you, the first time I watched this movie, I was riveted.The casting director should have won an Oscar for how well he crafted this ensemble.Every one of these 12 are wonderful actors and take their parts very seriously.Henry Fonda is obviously the star of the movie, but he by no means carries the movie - Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, ... Read More
Rating: 
- Despite The Desire To Never See It Again, a Good Film
12 Angry Men is perhaps the only courtroom drama (To Kill a Mockingbird transceds the genre itself, which is, by the way, a classic movie) that is worth watching.12 Angry Men deals with a murder trial.The murder trial deals whether or not an 18 year old boy is guily or innocent, dealing with the case that the eighteen year old boy killed his father.
On the surface, the plot is not very interesting and rather pedestrian.But this movie turns that normal plot into a compelling jury session. ... Read More
Rating: - Not to be Repeated
As I find myself now going for years without going to the movies, at times I have asked myself whether I've just lost enthusiasm for them, or perhaps it's just middle age.
No!We don't have this quality of film come to screen often anymore, being too worried about someone's virginity or frat-boy antics, or cheap horror.
As a prior reviewer so aptly stated, there isn't much required in the way of complication to make a great, classic movie.However, one must start with a great ... Read More
Rating: - 12 Angry Men DVD
Distributor was great; received the DVD in quicker than expected.The DVD itself is wonderful, with a nice bonus documentary about the making of 12 Angry Men.
Rating: - Still Great After All These Years
Teenagers today are supposed to refuse to watch black and white, and to sniff at anything more than 15 minutes old.Several people told me to get the remake of this instead of the original, but when I showed it to 95 undergraduates they were completely spellbound (that means quiet) and active in discussion afterwards.It may be old, and outdated in parts (unlikely that a juror would sneak a switchblade into the jury room; unlikely that a jury would be 12 white men) but so what?This is one of those films ... Read More
- A Classic Among ClassicsOk, you have 12 guys that spend the entire movies huddled in a small jury discussion room and do nothing but talk for 90 min.How is that interesting?Let me tell you, the first time I watched this movie, I was riveted.The casting director should have won an Oscar for how well he crafted this ensemble.Every one of these 12 are wonderful actors and take their parts very seriously.Henry Fonda is obviously the star of the movie, but he by no means carries the movie - Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, ... Read More
- Despite The Desire To Never See It Again, a Good Film12 Angry Men is perhaps the only courtroom drama (To Kill a Mockingbird transceds the genre itself, which is, by the way, a classic movie) that is worth watching.12 Angry Men deals with a murder trial.The murder trial deals whether or not an 18 year old boy is guily or innocent, dealing with the case that the eighteen year old boy killed his father.
On the surface, the plot is not very interesting and rather pedestrian.But this movie turns that normal plot into a compelling jury session. ... Read More
- Not to be RepeatedAs I find myself now going for years without going to the movies, at times I have asked myself whether I've just lost enthusiasm for them, or perhaps it's just middle age.
No!We don't have this quality of film come to screen often anymore, being too worried about someone's virginity or frat-boy antics, or cheap horror.
As a prior reviewer so aptly stated, there isn't much required in the way of complication to make a great, classic movie.However, one must start with a great ... Read More
- 12 Angry Men DVDDistributor was great; received the DVD in quicker than expected.The DVD itself is wonderful, with a nice bonus documentary about the making of 12 Angry Men.
- Still Great After All These YearsTeenagers today are supposed to refuse to watch black and white, and to sniff at anything more than 15 minutes old.Several people told me to get the remake of this instead of the original, but when I showed it to 95 undergraduates they were completely spellbound (that means quiet) and active in discussion afterwards.It may be old, and outdated in parts (unlikely that a juror would sneak a switchblade into the jury room; unlikely that a jury would be 12 white men) but so what?This is one of those films ... Read More
