Will Always Be a Classic

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2004)

To me, this film is probably as close to perfect as any film ever was. The emotion, the story, the acting, etc. Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb squaring off. Different jurors harboring different beliefs, goals, views, etc. And even though this film was made close to fifty years ago, it is still as timely as ever. That is why I was so confused that somebody tried to shoot a re-make? Blasphemy! And by the way, that remake really sucked! Of course, after the first couple of times I saw this film, I was confused. I really though the kid did it. I still kind of think he did. Of course, that is the whole point of the film. Maybe he did do it, maybe not. The point of the story is about everybody getting a fair trial and a fair jury. Moreover, I will always remember the courage of Fonda's character, standing up to those eleven others, will very little to cling to. And how the jury ended up having to do what should have been done in the court room all along, try the case. Perhaps the main point of the film was to indict a society and criminal justice system that had lost it's way, if it ever had a way. But the lasting legacy of the film, is the fact that it just might be the greatest movie ever made.