11 answers for "know what I mean?"

Rating: 9/10 (16 September 2008)

"12 Angry Men" is the antithesis of today's blockbusters and blockbuster-wannabes. The successful action movies trim their dialog in favor of chases, fights and stunts. Many films which depend on dialog have a lot of empty chatter.
The twelve actors in Sidney Lumet's jury room face no such emptiness. Every line in the film either contributes to the case (deciding whether or not an accused murderer is guilty) or says something about the speaker. All of the actors make their characters live in verbal and silent moments.
An early example of an actor silently projecting his character comes when E.G. Marshall (Juror #4) ignores a fellow's attempt to hand him a business card. #4 comes across as a person who feels infallible and superior to everyone else whether or not he speaks. His imperfections are sweated out (literally) over the debate that follows; he responds by using his listening and speaking skills better.
Meanwhile, #10 (Ed Begley in the difficult role of humanizing an unrepentant bigot) becomes the angriest juror for a while. He's sociable at first, and he did pay attention during the trial (as is evident when he points out facts to the dissenting #8, played by Henry Fonda). But he contributes little substance to the deliberations. His favorite phrase, "know what I mean?", always comes at the end of a complaint or a bigoted remark. Finally he goes on a rant which antagonizes all of the other jurors (even Lee J. Cobb's seemingly similar #3).
Most of them react by leaving the table. Jack Klugman's slum dweller (#5) goes first. Jack Warden as the "I couldn't care less about the case, let me go to the ball game" #7 slouches in his chair. The only other juror who stays seated is #4, still in the "Guilty" camp but already a changed man, and he utters a devastating counterpoint to the other jurors' silence.
#10 retreats to a corner, too ashamed to return to the table. He may never express his bigotry so openly again, although he will always be closed-minded (books are at hand where he sits, but he doesn't touch them).
When 12 actors talk in a room for an hour and a half without a moment of tedium, full marks go to all twelve along with writer Reginald Rose and director Sidney Lumet.
-Tony