no argument here: it's still a classic

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2011)

An all-star jury deliberates what seems to be a clear-cut murder charge, but each guilty verdict is swayed, one by one, by the reasonable doubt of good Samaritan Henry Fonda. The film was made in defense of an insecure legal system, showing how a jury of one's (all too human) peers, sidetracked by prejudice, laziness and impatience, can still deliver an impartial decision after considering all the available evidence. The drama is played out in real time, and with real emotional power, building considerable tension out of the conflicts between each character (many of whom would likely never have been selected for an actual jury in the first place). Credit Reginald Rose for the elegant simplicity of his original screenplay, and 33-year old Sidney Lumet (making his feature film debut) for the all but invisible direction, maintaining the punch of the original story (a stage play originally written for television) without it seeming at all like a claustrophobic, one-set theater piece.