Black & White; Closed Captioned; Soundtrack English; Soundtrack French
Sidney Lumet's directorial debut is a snapshot of the American judicial system in action. Twelve average New York males convene in a very small jury room on a very hot day in order to reach a verdict in a murder trial. Almost everyone wants to vote guilty and get on with their lives except for Juror No. 8 (Henry Fonda), a conscientious citizen who insists on establishing reasonable doubt. Arguments are made, cigarettes are smoked, murder weapons examined, diagrams drawn, and prejudices revealed. Firm opinions weaken and reverse; voices get raised, the clock ticks, and a ghetto kid's life hangs in the balance.
Lumet's direction and camerawork steadily builds pressure into the plot. Things start out casual, but wind up so close and tight you can count the pores on the actors' noses. Fonda is good in a role well-suited to his extra-large sense of human dignity but the stealth giant in this actors dozen is the ferocious Lee J. Cobb. Jack Klugman, E.G. Marshall, Martin Balsam, Ed Begley, and Jack Warden play some of the other jurors, and a better assemblage of grizzled method actors shouting at each other won't likely come again. 12 ANGRY MEN was originally written for television, it is a true classic of the anti-McCarthy message era, and is not to be missed.
Estimated budget: $343,000.
The shoot lasted 19 days.
The movie marked the feature-film directorial debut of Sidney Lumet.
The film was remade for cable television in 1997, directed by William Friedkin, written again by Reginald Rose, and starring Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Courtney B. Vance, Ossie Davis, James Gandolfini, Tony Danza, and others.
12 Angry Men Quotes/Excerpts:
"Well, I'm not used to supposin'. I'm just a workin' man. My boss does all the supposin' but I'll try one. Supposin' you talk us all out of this and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?"--Juror #6 (Edward Binns)
12 Angry Men Reviews:
"Best Courtroom Drama of All Time"
Premiere
"...This is a film where tension comes from personality conflict, dialogue and body language....The movie plays like a textbook for directors interested in how lens choices affect mood..."
-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"...As the juror dead-set against a murder conviction, Henry Fonda had one of his greatest roles..."
-- Mike Clark, USA Today
"Fonda shines -- almost literally in a white suit -- as the soft-spoken, merciful Juror No. 8." -- Grade: A--- Jeff Labrecque, Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he textures of the film actively transform this righteous template into a bristly, suspenseful, heroic firefight..."-- Sight and Sound Critic, Sight and Sound
Customer 12 Angry Men Reviews Customer 12 Angry Men DVD Reviews
Average Rating: (4.7 out of 5 stars)
Great Movie This is one of the best movies of all time. Only made better with DVD and widescreen. Just like seeing it at the theaters, the way it was meant to be seen. Submitted by a reviewer (Battle Creek, MI, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
I love Courtroom drama This is a classic and everyone should own a copy. There are so many personalities in the jury room. It makes one think hard about our judicial system and how human beings are there to decide the fate of those on trial. I loved this film. Everyone was believable. Submitted by Becky (Weatherford, TX) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Truly a classic Truly one of the best of the best. I couldn't get enough! It's real neat to see all types of leadership present, from stuborn to authoritarian. Really a must see for... everyone. It also gives us a reflection about other's deciing our fate. Really good movie. Submitted by Hans_Rudel (Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
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12 Angry Men DVD
12 Angry Men DVD Features
Region 1 Keep Case Single Side - Single Layer Widescreen - 1.66 Audio: Dolby Digital 1.0 - French Dolby Digital 2.0 - English Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Additional Release Material: Trailers
Great Movie
I love Courtroom drama
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