one of the simplest, but greatest movies ever made

Rating: 10/10 (10 June 2007)

As Steven Spielberg once quoted, "Oftentimes the simplest ideas are the best ones". And back in the days of the 1950s, a lot of the movies that came out were fairly simple. "12 Angry Men" is one of the simplest movies ever made. Nearly the entire film takes place in one room and the cast consists of only twelve characters. Yet, even its simplicity proves out to be effective, for it is one of the most intense, dramatic motion pictures ever created and truly a great accomplishment for Sidney Lumet and leading actor/producer Henry Fonda. Also sharing the screen with Fonda are other famous names such as John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, and Ed Begley.
"12 Angry Men" is also a film that becomes so powerful because of the way it develops its twelve stars. Every character has a background of some kind, many times a troubled one, as we see in real people around us. Fonda plays one of those characters that stands alone, bravely against a large opposing force and as he often states in the movie that he's not sure if what he's doing is really worth the trouble. The tension as Fonda tries to convince the eleven others to follow along with him develops to an incredible level with amazing performances by everybody and one of the best scripts ever written. It's one of the best movies ever made.