12 ANGRY MEN (1957) - 21/10/2019

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2020)

12 Angry Men proves that a masterpiece is all in the details. This is, without a doubt, one of the best dramas ever created. Nice short runtime, small cast, all filmed in one room.m, it's just so tight. The beauty of it is that just from dialogue alone we are thoroughly entertained and it maintains a sense of tension throughout. The crime is never re-enacted, it's from the descriptive dialogue that we picture it in our heads. Writer Reginald Rose knew that the most powerful tool in film was words. The cast was high calibre, Henry Fonda leading the view of not guilty. It's pretty difficult to go against him when he is full of suaveness and so convincing. We get to know each juror as the film goes on and we soon start to explore the possibility that their personal lives are tainting their decision. That, was what made it so palpable. It was clouding their judgement, and their stubborn personalities made it all the more satisfying if they did change their mind. Persuasion is a powerful tool, but add a hint of conviction and you can manipulate anyone's mind. Several nice details were included, I like the fact it was set on the hottest day of the year. The heat evidently getting to the jurors, it made them more irritable and heightened the angry emotions within. Director Sidney Lumet did so much in such a little space, technically. When the jurors enter the room, its a sublime long five minute shot and he manages to share the screen time with each juror equally. He was able to convey their personalities instantaneously just by their attire, then when the discussion commences we start to dig a little deeper. The screenplay really is the winner here, if anything it makes me want to work in law. Dramas do not come better than this, 12 Angry Men easily gets the perfect rating. It sits in the inclusive list of masterpieces.

Mitchell Bulfin