Always watch the classics!

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2003)

I haven't seen too many classics in my time and I am particularly fond of this one. When it comes to the justice system and political jousting, this is probably the best movie ever made. Jury deliberations are always held out of public view and it was interesting to see how they could possibly go. Granted that this movie is a work of fiction, I found it to be one of the most realistic films of all time as well. This is a dramatic legal classic and I can see where Scott Turow and John Grisham got some inspiration for their respective career choices maybe.
Here are my reasons (some spoilers may be revealed): (1) The performance of Henry Fonda anchored this rather extraordinary piece of celluloid. It was one of the first film roles that really preached political correctness and it was done with both levelheadedness and style. At the time, Fonda took on the underdog character in a completely new and different way and that made it the best performance in the movie. (2) This was a movie filled with a lot of excellent performances and the next best one goes to E. G. Marshall. To me, he was the actual conservative of the movie (sorry Mr. Cobb). His views were exactly opposite of Fonda but he kept a sound mind. He logically challenged Fonda at every turn but he never lost his cool. While Ed Begley and Lee J. Cobb played the "conservative" roles (more like fascist bigots in my opinion), Marshall kept his emotions in check and kept with the cold logic (much like Fonda) and that is why I found his performance to fit the bill of true conservative. (3) Another great performance was done by Joseph Sweeney. He proved that old men know their stuff. He reminded me of my maternal grandfather who is a very learned and observant man himself. Sweeney definitely stole a few scenes from both Fonda and Marshall. He definitely should have been nominated for a supporting actor Oscar. (4) Keeping with the same logic, I really liked George Voskovec. He provided the outside perspective in the movie. The tense scene he had with Jack Warden was the most emotional moment in the film next to Lee J. Cobb's breakdown before the end of the film. Granted the nationality of his character was unknown, it goes to show that people of all ethnicities share the liberal views on very tenuous issues. (5) The fifth best performance goes to the man who played Quincy for seven seasons on the show of the same name. What made him stand out was the fact that he didn't vote not guilty right away even though he was a slum survivor like the defendant in the murder trial. That is a point that those of the same background will always feel sorry for one another. That role was put into the movie to reinforce the sense of reality that the movie was trying to portray. (6) Even though I haven't seen a lot of his films, I found Sidney Lumet's direction of "12 Angry Men" to be Oscar worthy. He definitely cared about this movie and it was maybe the best film he ever had the chance to helm. (7) This movie was spectacularly well-written. Some of the scenarios couldn't have come about without a great writer to do it. Reginald Rose did a great job in coming up with an excellent screenplay and an excellent set of circumstances to play around with. His talent is evident with the fact that the old man pointed out the last fact and the leader of the non-guilty side didn't. (8) The cinematography made me feel the heated claustrophobia that the jurors were suffering through. Throw in a few lighting switches and a small change in dramatic effects and you have an emotionally-charged picture. I was really intrigued by the close-ups on some of the actors. You could really sense the raw emotion all those men felt as they debated away on such a weighty decision. It was beyond words at some moments. (9) This truly was a summer movie. The heat coming into a confined space and the rain coming down at night signaled this thought. I am not a big fan of typical popcorn films and I believe this a needed reprieve from that. I watched this film during a summer thunderstorm and I had to smile at the poetry behind it. It will make anyone blink a couple of times. (10) Not only is this a summer film, it is a time capsule film. Nowadays, no one could get away with making a film about a jury filled with only white men. Men and women from all standings would have to be thrown into the mix to satiate the public and the hounds of political correctness (aka most of Hollywood anyway). I wasn't offended by this movie at all even though it lacked politcal correctness in terms of the times we currently live on. At that time, it was legally acceptable to do as such and the times eventually change. This film captures the late fifties' mentality on the legal system, political correctness, and class struggle perfectly. Ten reasons give this movie a score of ten.
Overall, I found "12 Angry Men" to be a classic that everyone from all walks of life should watch. Not only does hit hard on the times in which it took place, it makes a lot of good points on the unfairness of the legal system and fallability of mankind. All sorts of political opinions and logical paths were followed but it was easy to understand and it made "12 Angry Men" all the better. It should not be missed! Here ends my rant!