An excellent "jury room drama" - ****

Rating: 9/10 (31 May 2002)

Especially in our current state, the focus is more and more on special effects and visual appeal than on strong plots and good acting. While many great movies have told their stories through visuals, "12 Angry Men" takes the opposite approach, telling the story through its characters, creating the feel of a stage play.
The premise is that a young minority boy is charged with murdering his father. Every jury member except one (Henry Fonda), believes that the boy is guilty. Fonda doesn't necessarily believe him to be innocent, but rather that he just isn't sure. He begins his attempt to point out how he feels and why he feels that way. Through this, he reveals the insecurities and prejudices that are within everyone.
The acting is first rate, from the angry, stubborn Juror #3 to Fonda, who creates a sense of integrity that he does so well. Each man has a unique angle, and every actor portrays them well.
The story and script are as close to perfect as can be. I don't mean that the movie is perfect, but rather that this is a premise that is difficult to execute. It would be easy to write this story so that it would not flow well, but it flows smoothly. Perhaps one of the best screenplays of all time.
The themes of this movie - it is more or less a character study - are beautifully written in. They never become heavy handed, but are still easily seen. Every man on the jury has some reason to quickly decide guilty, whether it be indifference, their own personal struggles, or prejudices.
This movie is not a masterpiece of visual achievement. It takes a rather unique approach to cinema, and makes itself a masterpiece in its own way.