An authentic classic has audiences captivated, be it 1957 or 2012; this one does

Rating: 9/10 (10 December 2011)

Most of the young middle age viewers of today would not remember the named actors in this ensemble cast except a few. I remember them well and I know I'm not alone. Most all of them have had superb careers and were leading men. The name that transcends them all is of course Henry Fonda; the coolest and most deliberate role was his and he owned it. I think of all the others as co-stars and not supporting actors. Lest we forget the directing by a master, Sidney Lumet, and camera crew as well as the grips who had to allow the story to flow without interfering; splendid work. I don't agree with some reviewers who state this sort of drama in one room is not and could not be done anymore; it was done magnificently in the 2010 movie "The Sunset Limited" with Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson; however that was only two men going back and forth with their arguments, and the script was worked from a successful play. I expanded on the qualities of it, in a review; the 1957 "12 Angry Men" is superior in a few ways. The dialogue is more difficult and requires very good direction and oddly, the one room also for stage for 'Sunset' was bigger and allowed gesturing which '12 Angry Men' were limited in such acting resource.
In '12 Angry Men' Fonda makes the profound arguments for the other jurors to take their responsibilities seriously because of the stakes. The story is a brilliant piece of work in the development of characters and principals and the flow of all that should be, actually gets there in a plausible flow. The audience is captivated by each juror's journey; that's classic drama/thriller. The high ratings has been steady over time, which only means new audiences can appreciate good stuff. I was glad to view it again after so many years and I still feel I get my money's worth; I'll be watching the 1997 remake to compare and see how William Friedkin handled a remake of such a strong Classic.