2012-07-26

12 Angry Men


12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957)

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

The first feature film directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, The Verdict) is one of the greatest huis clos dramas to ever be put on film. Starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, and eight other angry men. They are the twelve jurors who need to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or not of murder on his father. They are in the jury room for almost the entire film and the evolution of their decision is the center of the story. Adapted from a play by Reginald Rose, 12 Angry Men is a masterpiece of mise en scène and pacing.

At first, Fonda’s character is laid back and studies the opinions and reactions of his peers. But when he decides to get into the action he mesmerizes them one by one. This is not only a meditation on American justice, but also a human laboratory on human forces of power and influence on opinions.

It also works where Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat film fails to be the perfect huis clos, the tension and the interactions between the characters is never slowed down for a plot detail or a camera setup. Lumet’s sober mise en scène becomes the best tool he has to tell this risky story. However, he masters it like the great storyteller he is. Just look at his film Network to understand how he knows to bring controversial material to the big screen without falling into the easiness of his subjects. 


The late American critic Andrew Sarris in his book The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968  labelled Sidney Lumet in the category Strained Seriousness. It represents “talented but uneven directors with the mortal sin of pretentiousness. Their ambitious projects tend to inflate rather than expound.” What works with 12 Angry Men, is the fact that it is an ambitious project made with honest and very humble means.

All in all, 12 Angry Men might be Lumet’s masterpiece: a film that still holds its guard more than fifty years after it was made is the sign of real talent. Plus, it is a movie that has a great entertainment value and a keen story. Highly recommended.

10 comments:

  1. I remember having watched the movie few years back. I was left completely awe-struck by Lumet's meticulous direction and Fonda's mesmerizing portrayal. Lumet's use of cinematic space is indeed exemplary. In India, they shamelessly remade it into a TV movie called Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (One Pending Decision). I believe that it's a great testament to 12 Angry Man's universality and timelessness that while one may not find many who have watched Lumet's masterpiece, there are millions who are still in awe of Ek Ruka Hua Faisala.

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    1. Great to see that the adaptation was quite popular in India! Like you Murtaza, I believe that Cinema must be Universal and I think that in this case, Justice is a concept that applies to every human being on Earth.

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  2. I completely agree. This is one of the all time classic films.

    Sorry to bring this up, but have you added or expanded a feature in the last week or two? In trying to comment tonight it is taking upwards of two minutes for the page to render fully. (It used to take 30-45 seconds for the page to come back.)

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    1. I don't know what happened Chip! But seems to be ok today... I added some little things here and there in my coding but I don't think it was that that slowed everything down a bit.

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  3. Definitely a masterpiece -- absolutely love Lumet and 12 Angry Men.

    Nice to see you caught up with this film Michael. Keep up the good work man!

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    1. Thank you Sam! I love this film from the first time I discovered it!

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  4. I'd never even heard of the film until this year when a friend recommended it to me. I'm so glad he did. It's simply stunning, from the claustrophobic setting and direction to the simple yet absorbing plot. A true masterpiece.

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    1. Glad you also loved it! Indeed it is a true masterpiece!

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  5. As good a movie asi have ever seen. From lee j cobbs over bearing portrayal to henry fondas more logical character. One of my top 10.

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  6. As good a movie asi have ever seen. From lee j cobbs over bearing portrayal to henry fondas more logical character. One of my top 10.

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