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Starring: Henry Fonda,  Lee J. Cobb,  Martin Balsam,  John Fiedler,  E.G. Marshall, 
Directed By: Sidney Lumet, 
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1957
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Format: Black & White,  Closed-captioned,  DVD-Video,  Letterboxed,  Subtitled,  Widescreen,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about 12 Angry Men

Description
Eleven jurors are convinced that the defendant is guilty of murder. The twelfth has no doubt of his innocence. How can this one man steer the others toward the same conclusion? It's a case of seemingly overwhelming evidence against a teenager accused of killing his father in "one of the best pictures ever made" (The Hollywood Reporter).

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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

Customer Reviews for 12 Angry Men

"Henry the Hold-Out"
This 1957 film is so educational to the average person about how complex capital court cases can be, and they must be as someone's very right to live is often hanging in the balance. Everyone chosen to sit on a jury brings his entire life-history and prejudices and bias to that theatre. If the accused reminds him of someone from his past, or someone's facial features dredge up unpleasant thoughts, well it can cinch a wrong verdict. Even another great Henry Fonda movie--The Wrong Man--serves to show us that what looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck may be a duck, but it may not be the RIGHT duck. This movie about the one hold-out on the jury (Fonda) reaps the wrath of the fellow jury members who want to get on with their lives--an almost unbearable influence. It is played so well by all the players, was so good and true, that it no doubt greatly influenced the process of jury selection from that day forward. Jury selection has become a fine art and is often more important than any evidence presented at a trial. Backgrounds of each and every candidate are delved into, their preferences, their dislikes, grudges they may hold, their race, their sex, their educational and occupational backgrounds. If a jury is likely to become a hung jury, because of the balance of the scales of evidence and testimony, well the personalities of the jurors may be the deciding factors in votes cast. Twelve Angry Men is a great drama, played by great actors, but it also served to teach us well about the complexities of our legal system and the possible consequences of mis-cast votes. Though much has changed in today's court systems, one thing has not--life will always be made unpleasant, or even threatened by other jury members not in agreement with hold-outs. Always a thought-provoking movie to re-view.12 Angry Men

12 Angery Man
Found this one on TV about half way through and had to look for it again. After I watched it all the way through I had to add it to my collection. Many stars young in their careers.12 Angry Men

3.5 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:

12 Angry Men is a fascinating film, hurt only by the fact that it is pretty obvious where things are heading; nonetheless, it's a well-made and thoroughly interesting journey before it gets to its destination.12 Angry Men

A truly great movie!
This movie is a really powerful demonstration of the "art" of movie making as it is hard to find today. Pure content, no special effects, a simple setting - yet extremely exciting, makes you wanna continue watching until the last minute. A true classic!12 Angry Men

You get what you pay for.
It's the same classic we all know and love, except it's in it's anniversary edition and quickly delivered by Amazon.com. Enjoy the movie.....again.12 Angry Men