User reviews

This film is superb, in fact as Shakespeare once said "Its the bees' knees". The film captivates the audience from the beginning. Each of the twelve jurors are introduced to us as they are introduced to themselves. The characters are well draw out and individual, each with his own personality.

The tension of the characters draws the audience in from the start. We imagine that the case is open and shut, 11 me saying guilty and 1 not. We feel the discomfort of Henry Fonda as the other characters belittle and mock how he can see any reasonable doubt in the case. But we also share his victories and the enthusiasm as he proceeds to refute or add doubt to the arguments for guilty and are captivated and draw in as other jurors begin to see doubt in the proceedings.

The audience can also see the arguments for guilty and wonder if Fonda's character is correct in saying that he doubts. Yet they also feel the shame of the characters as he disproves that a previously sound theory is iron tight, joining his side as members of the jury do.

On top of this they are wonderfully woven in human elements such as the misconceptions that influence people and the growing tension between different characters. This is brought to life even more by the amazing performances, Fonda, Lee J Cobb and Joseph Sweeney are of particular note.

I started watching this film on a bored relaxed laying about day but by the end i was on the edge of the seat with my hands on my knees feeling more tense than a politician on results day.

How a film should be made. Modern directors take note(thats ur telling off for the day) 10/10

This film is investing from start to finish. None of the performances feel like actors playing characters, but instead as people who just happen to be being filmed. The dialogue is phenomenal, the camerawork is absolutely phenomenal, the heat and claustrophobia of the environment sets in right away and gradually gets more and more intense. This film is absolutely phenomenal, and I would recommend it to absolutely anybody who enjoys film as an art form.

12 Angry Men is a terrific film that reflects a lot of the past problems and the proposed solutions of immigration, youth violence, and of course, overcoming one's own background and discrimination. The film surprised me in how progressive it was, and the ending social conclusions that it reached.

In the film you can see clearly form a rift between the upper class, conservatives who are unwilling to change and the progressives who are proposing change for the better of all of us; this film, deep down, is a very class conscious and socially conscious film about discrimination and the deep lines it had in American society in 1957.

Although the film's portrayal is sometimes overly simplistic, drawing a "stubborn, pig-headed" conservative versus "righteous, just" progressive, one can find that this was very much so a necessary film for its' time. In many ways, it is a work that was socially far advanced.

Also what is interesting is the fact that it is a film that is done with great simplicity; some actors, and a room... It relies greatly upon the pure talent of the actors, and the great direction of Sidney Lumet -- this film is truly unique due to the true minimalism it embraces in its' production tactics, yet this is something that could easily go unnoticed due to the incredible quality of the film.

Intense courtroom drama which has 12 very different people, all males, struggling with a murder case involving a young Puerto Rican boy that seems cut-and-dried. However, juror Henry Fonda does not believe it to be as sure-fire as it appears. He votes not guilty and what follows is a chain of events that will test the views, beliefs and thoughts of the other 11 members. Fonda is great, but Lee J. Cobb steals every scene (and that is not easy to do in a film like this). Ed Begley, Martin Balsam, Jack Warden, Jack Klugman, Joseph Sweeney, E.G. Marshall and John Fiedler are among the other individuals caught in a situation that is much more difficult than it appears on the surface. An excellent character-study that should be studied and embraced by all present and future film-makers. 5 stars out of 5.

There are a few wonderful courtroom dramas out there, Anatomy of a Murder, To Kill a Mockingbird and Witness for the Prosecution immediately springing to mind. 12 Angry Men is so brilliant, it could very well be the definitive courtroom drama on film. Sidney Lumet's direction is masterly, and although the action takes place on one set(an actual New York drawing room) there are a huge variety of innovative camera angles and visual set-ups. The screenplay is sophisticated and smart, and the story is compelling and intelligent. The film is also brilliantly made, and the acting is superb. Henry Fonda especially dominates the film, with an integrity that makes his character so wonderful, but the other actors are wonderful as well, Ed Begley, Jack Warden, John Fiedler, Lee J Cobb, Rudy Bond et al. are all impeccable support to Fonda. Overall, brilliant courtroom drama. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Gosh, I don't know how many times I studied this play and performed it in high school, not to mention how many television shows had an episode that was inspired by 12 Angry Men. It was always a great drama because of the raw human emotions that were so true and remain timeless, this play will never be dated. I couldn't wait to see this movie when I saw it at the video store and it was the first movie I slipped into the DVD player. First off, I was incredibly impressed with the credits, we not only had Henry Fonda, we had Lee J. Cobb in the cast! This movie was so well performed and such a treasure, god, I couldn't ever say any words to justify it. I've done this a million times, but here is another summary of what 12 Angry Men is all about.

12 jurors are about to make a decision about a murder case, over all it seems like an open and shut case with tons of evidence that would make any good man look guilty, an 18 year old boy is about to be put to death if convicted. 11 of the men vote guilty, only one vote holds them back and they have to discuss the trial once again due to one vote being not guilty. Jurour #8 refuses to just jump to conclusions and brings up incredible possibilities that can always make a man think of "reasonable doubts", one by one the jurors begin to see the points he is making, except for one stubborn #3 who would rather just pull the switch to the chair himself.

12 Angry Men is a timeless tale that could either be told very badly, i.e. 7th Heaven, or incredibly well and bring out terrific performances like Henry and Lee did. Actually, the whole cast was terrific, there wasn't a performance that was off key, movies like this are so needed in Hollywood today, it was so simple, but added so much for a 30 minute play. Please, if you have any taste, you will truly enjoy 12 Angry Men and have a great appreciation for it!

10/10

This is one of those movies where everything could go wrong. The story is as simple as it can be: 12 men are jurors on a open and shut murder trial, but one man thinks that another persons life deserves at least some thought on the matter and votes not guilty. From this point on we have 12 actors and a closed room. This could be the most boring film ever made. Lumet however is a master of mise-en-scene and provides a tense movie that keeps you locked on from the word "go". The dialogs are great and supported by incredibly talented actors. Joel Schumacher in Phone Booth needed to see this movie and draw a few ideas on how to make a character built, dialog driven movie. A must see for everyone.

Oh Boy Oh Boy, it Took me Seven years to Rewatch This Masterpiece, Damn why don't they make em like this Anymore.

I could go on, but I thought I'd stop there before my summary line gets too big. Now just because this is a classic movie (and we really should try to use that term lightly, but this movie really deserves it and I'll elaborate on that), does not mean everybody will love it. And if one does not like it, it does not mean they have no taste. They just have different tastes, which is a good thing, because if every human on earth would have the same taste, life would be very boring now wouldn't it? The asnwer is yes, in case you were wondering.

But back to this, which begins outside and takes us inside. And it is important that we were outside because we will live inside a building (a room to be more specific) for the most time. There is also a brief shot of the alleged culprit/criminal. After that we get in a room with 12 men, who are quite different from each other. And while it wasn't yet time to give African American a chance in a movie like that (or Asian American for that matter), there is a critical racial line that is drawn. If you follow what is happening and who says what or argues in certain ways, you will see that this movie has quite the social commentary in it.

Now that is one part of this being genius, because it never rubs your nose in it. It never says, this guy who is i.e. from Italian descent has a reasonable thing/argument to say. No you just hear the things and see the people interact. And I have not even mentioned the way the movie is shot. And I'm not talking about the black and white cinematography (which is beautifully lit), no. I mean the framing and the set-ups. the editing and how everything flows. You feel like you're inside the room. You feel like this really happens or happened. Even the things that seem not staged (someone blocking another person, a shadow, peoples back and more) are in fact staged and masterfully done so.

There are way smarter people than me, that can list you many things this movie has done right and I'm sure there quite a few sources online to look for. Just listening to the audio commentary can give a small glimpse into certain things too. But again, since this is not something that one might call light entertaining, if it does not appeal to you, then it is so. It does not mean you are wrong and it surely does not mean that this movie is falsely considered a masterpiece!

In my opinion, the best movie ever made. Brilliant performances all around. A whole lot of dialogue, but you never get tired of listening. Lumet's first film-what an amazing talent. Henry Fonda and Lee J Cobb stand out, but all are excellent. There was a prior TV version, which is horrible. Lumet's version is the only one to see.

I agree with many of the reviews- less is more, great cast of actors. Love the premise of just following the jury in the room. Honestly after the first 30 minutes you could kind of tell where this story line was headed and it wasn't much of a surprise at the end. I just don't see this movie in the same league as some of the others at the top of best movie lists- Shawshank, Godfather, Schindler's list, even Pulp Fiction. It's not just because it is a classic black and white movie, I love that about it. It's a Wonderful Life blows this away. I will have to watch it again one day and see if I have a different opinion since everyone else seems enthralled with this movie. For me it was worth watching, but would not be anywhere near my top 20 best films ever.