Brilliant In It's Simplicity

Rating: 9/10 (20 September 2010)

Forty three years since the release of Sidney Lumet's debut, in a current cinematic age where films seem increasingly judged on the strength of their special effects or CGI, how refreshing it is that 12 Angry Men can still be considered a masterpiece.
On the face of it selling the premise of 12 Angry Men is no easy feat. The film focuses on the jury in the case of a young man facing the death penalty for the murder of his father. However, what's different is that 12 Angry Men is set almost entirely within a single, unremarkable room, as the twelve jurors try to reach a unanimous verdict.
Featuring such cinematic greats as Joseph Walden, Lee J. Cobb and the superb Henry Fonda the film relies purely on an excellent screenplay, fantastic dialogue and consistently excellent character development as the various prejudices of the twelve jurors are revealed. Because of unspectacular setting there is a fantastic feeling of claustrophobic suspense that dominates throughout Beginning with 11 jurors convinced the man is guilty, only Henry Fonda's character expresses any doubts. As the film plays out various ballots are taken where the characters give their verdict and increasingly Fonda's character places doubt in your mind that the other juror's opinions are clouded. In the history of film there are very few directors who could capture the suspense that Lumet generates from such a shabby, sparse setting, for instance each time the men take a ballot and it is revealed more and more of the jury have their doubts.
Compared to the stunt filled, special effects marathons that seem to dominate our screens today, 12 Angry Men still stands out as a ray of light that proves beyond doubt that excellent dialogue, screenplay and acting talent wins out on CGI any day.