I Felt Like a 13th Juror

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2018)

Amazing amazing amazing movie. I am totally shocked. I was blown away.
I saw the high rating of this movie and thought it would be good but it's a movie from 1957 so how good are we talking. Then as the movie started I see 12 white male jurors go into jury chambers to decide the fate of either an Italian or Latino teen. Instantly, I thought, "I'm going to hate this movie." And as the subtle and not so subtle personality traits and ideologies of some of the men became known I thought, "I'm really going to hate this movie."
But not so fast my fine movie-going friend. The 1950's just may be able to surprise you. And that it did. This movie about the American justice system and the power of jurors who take justice seriously is a tremendous tribute and example of what justice should be.
The entire unfolding of the movie was so realistic: the yelling, the arguing, the soapbox preaching, the prejudices, the practical, the impractical, the logical, the emotional, those who cared, those who couldn't careless, it was flat out real. They couldn't have done a better job with the characters, the writing, and the acting. 12 jurors in a stuffy jury room deliberating upon the fate of a man accused of murder and one man upsetting the balance--you can imagine the fury, frustration, impatience, misunderstanding, and impertinence. It was a recipe for disaster.
It's been a while since I've actively partook in a movie to this degree. What do I mean? I mean that I'm a bit of an audible movie watcher. I will ooh and aah and make comments here and there but most movies don't elicit much from me. I found myself watching this movie and all but becoming a 13th juror. I was shouting, "Yes!" "You tell 'im!" "That's right!" "Oh!" and other comments reserved for a sermon or a sporting event. I was truly awed at the brilliance and direction of the movie/jury deliberations. Only if every jury in American history were as good as this one.