Great directing supports strong performances

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2006)

For a movie based mostly in the necessity for repetition and seeing both sides of the issue, it does not, like it would seem, make one tired of hearing the phrase "beyond a reasonable doubt." This is an issue of objectivity, the idea that has taken centuries of philosophers to finally understand doesn't exist in a subjective standpoint. I can say nothing about this film that isn't repeated, with full clarity, in the dialog under many different contexts. They hold a man's life in their hands, and in the process are going to learn a lot about what must go into the proof.
To be a bit honest, and a little hesitant, I must say that a lot of it strikes me as pretty liberal. I think this film is strongest when it doesn't get into politics, so the constant repetition of the phrase "bleeding heart" kind of gets to me. However, it's something of a necessity, because one of the things that these characters have to overcome is personal politics and prejudice to figure out where exactly to take a stand and where to leave be. And as a product of its time, it's immensely profound.
What I like most about it is that it is not a criticism of the American system, it's actually in full support of it. If it criticizes anything, it criticizes the people who take it aloofly and don't understand the power they hold when they operate within said system. Responsibility is something I personally find quite lacking currently, and it's nice to see a movie expound the virtues of personal responsibility towards lawful conduct. This does not mean falling into hegemonic status quo, for that would mean the boy dies because nobody takes the time to question him. This means making sure you understand what you know and what you can't know.
Beyond the writing itself, the directing and the acting really shine. It must be appallingly difficult to shoot an entire movie in such a small space, but Lumet does it superbly and the camera shows the audience EXACTLY what it needs to know when it needs to know it. It's art to be beheld. Also, all of the actors maintain their characters and the characters' mood swings amazingly, making it fluid and above all, very real.
--PolarisDiB