Heated deliberation

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2002)

SPOILERS
What is great about 12 Angry Men is its very basic structure while keeping you engaged in the flow of the deliberation. Nearly the entire movie was set in a jury room during a discussion of a murder case. Henry Fonda has a nagging feeling that the kid is not guilty and has to argue masterfully to convince his fellow jurors (some are harder than others). What makes this film great is the same reason people like to see comeback wins in sports and why impartial sports viewers tend to root for the underdog. Throughout the whole film, you have a feeling that Fonda is going to win, but seeing him do it is exciting. When I watched this movie, it seemed 30 minutes long and my friend and I were getting vocally excited about Fonda's quest for justice. This film is worthy of all its praise and has aged wonderfully.