Reasonable Doubt...

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2008)

The concept of 'Reasonable Doubt' is highly pervasive within the Judicial System; it is the concept that eventually decides the fates of the accused, and is the concept that is one of the most controversial. It's controversy lies in the fact that it is purely subjective, and dependent on the individuals that comprise the jury. The notion of Reasonable Doubt has no one definition, yet it is almost universally known. In 12 ANGRY MEN, Sidney Lumet successfully gives the viewer an idea of how this concept comes into play in a trial.
It is worth noting that while this may be one of the best courtroom movies of all time, it doesn't in fact occur in the actual courtroom; all but 3 or 4 minutes of this Motion Picture is spent in the confines of a Jury Room, where the verdict is hotly debated. Lumet does well to present the Room as a sort of confinement from which there is no escape until a unanimous verdict is decided. As the film progresses, the sense of urgency and claustrophobia sets in, and the tension becomes increasingly high. The first technique Lumet used was to employ the locked door. The second was to cue the rain, which gives the feeling that even the outdoors are 'inaccessible' and that only the Room exists. The third technique may be missed by less astute viewers; Lumet switches his scope from wide to narrow to close-up during the movie, which adds to the claustrophobic feeling mentioned earlier.
The acting is top-notch, as required by any good character study. All 12 men have been developed to some appreciable extent, but the key players have been developed to a comprehensive level given the film's ~95 minute run-time. Henry Fonda is brilliant as the 'hesitant' juror, but to me Lee J. Cobb outshines him in almost every scene (save the opening scenes).
Another aspect of the film worth mentioning is the Music (or lack thereof). This is another intentional ploy by Lumet to give the viewer a 'feel' of the Room. There is no Music in the Jury Room, so why should there be in this film? I agree that while a musical background score serves to enhance or capture the mood of the scene, sometimes the absence of the music (silence) speaks volumes, by allowing the viewer to concentrate fully on the scene(s). One of my favourite movies lacking in music is NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Another brilliant score-less Motion Picture is CAST AWAY, where no music is used for the entire length of time that Tom Hanks is stranded.
The screenplay is solid and intelligently sound. In fact the only thing that stopped this film from winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay was the excellent THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI. Had the movie been made a year or two earlier, it may well have won the esteemed accolades.
I can see why this film ranks in IMDb's All-time Top 10. It is simply a brilliant Motion Picture that has wide appeal, and can be enjoyed and appreciated by many.
4 stars (out of 4). 8/10. Will appear in my Top 200 at around 167 or so. Strongly recommended.