This is a classic movie by famous director Sidney Lumet. I think this might be his first film actually. Its about a jury convening in a room to decide the fate of an accused murderer. At the start of the movie it is made clear this decision would sentence the accused to the Electric Chair. They all think he is guilty except one person, and hence the drama unfolds as they pick apart the case of the accused.
I didn't read too much into this movie to whether there is any message, but I think it is just showing difficulties being on jury service. Some people don't want to spend too much time analysing the evidence, some people are ignorant bigots, some people just want to be somewhere else, but everyone wants to defend their opinion, and in this movie there are a lot of angry exchanges. I thought this was true to life from my experience on jury service.
The one flaw in this film is the ridiculous idea of the Henry Fonda character who wants to re-examine every bit evidence and come to a completely alternate conclusion to the others in the room. That's what lawyers do. By the time you convene to make a decision, you should already be clear on the evidence, and the credibility of witnesses, but for this film, for it to work as a drama, we are expected to believe that none of the presented evidence has been properly cross examined.
Anyway the acting is fantastic. The actors come across well as a cross section of society. They are quite civil to each other, but the underlying friction in the group is compulsive viewing.
Lee J Cobb is fantastic as the angriest of the 12 angry men.
I didn't read too much into this movie to whether there is any message, but I think it is just showing difficulties being on jury service. Some people don't want to spend too much time analysing the evidence, some people are ignorant bigots, some people just want to be somewhere else, but everyone wants to defend their opinion, and in this movie there are a lot of angry exchanges. I thought this was true to life from my experience on jury service.
The one flaw in this film is the ridiculous idea of the Henry Fonda character who wants to re-examine every bit evidence and come to a completely alternate conclusion to the others in the room. That's what lawyers do. By the time you convene to make a decision, you should already be clear on the evidence, and the credibility of witnesses, but for this film, for it to work as a drama, we are expected to believe that none of the presented evidence has been properly cross examined.
Anyway the acting is fantastic. The actors come across well as a cross section of society. They are quite civil to each other, but the underlying friction in the group is compulsive viewing.
Lee J Cobb is fantastic as the angriest of the 12 angry men.
Tell Your Friends