An American Masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2010)

This is a true undeniable American masterpiece. Courtroom dramas rarely match Sidney Lumet's film. The story is about 12 jurors on a murder trial that turns out to be much more complicated than first thought, all thanks to the persistence of Juror 8 played wonderfully by Henry Fonda. This is an hour and a half of gripping, engrossing drama. Prejudice, society classes are just some of the themes that run through the movie from start to finish. These characters are so well written that by the end of this movie you will feel as you must have encountered them at some point in your life. This realness makes 12 Angry Men even the more powerful and thought-provoking.
When this film came out in 1957, Sidney Lumet main input was limited to TV shows and series. Working on 12 Angry Men was not that much different, Sidney Lumet did not use any sophisticated material or expensive locations, he relies here on the power of the screenplay and dialogue and the strength of an all star cast headed by the great Henry Fonda. Limitations that only add to the sheer power of 12 Angry Men.
12 Angry Men is a must-see masterpiece, it is one of the best films of its time and genre, it will capture your attention and make you sit down and think long after you finish watching, it also rewards multiple viewing. Now if those qualities don't make a good movie, I don't know what does.