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Director: Sidney Lumet
12 jurors stuck in a room to decide the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. One man's vote on this fate differs form the other 11 and this is where all the conflict in the film derives from. There are many threads running through 12 Angry Men. The film deals with racism, family ties, anger, poverty, and just plain indifference. Each character brings a unique, and mostly valid point of view to the discussion. The films dialogue is at its most poignant when dealing with reasonable doubt. There were times when I felt it would benefit from lingering on this topic a bit longer, but who am I to argue with Sidney Lumet. The dialogue is never dull and propels the entire film, as it would have to in a movie with only one location.
If I have an issue with 12 Angry Men it is in the story arc. For a film where ambiguity is key to keeping our interest, the bookends are a little too black and white. While this does not take anything away form your enjoyment of the film while enjoying the journey, it was problematic as I began to dwell on the film after viewing. 12 Angry Men has endured as a classic for very good reason. Its topics are timeless, it has very good performances, and the dialogue sets a standard that other films should try to match. A great film no doubt, if not perfect in my opinion.
Director: Sidney Lumet
12 jurors stuck in a room to decide the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. One man's vote on this fate differs form the other 11 and this is where all the conflict in the film derives from. There are many threads running through 12 Angry Men. The film deals with racism, family ties, anger, poverty, and just plain indifference. Each character brings a unique, and mostly valid point of view to the discussion. The films dialogue is at its most poignant when dealing with reasonable doubt. There were times when I felt it would benefit from lingering on this topic a bit longer, but who am I to argue with Sidney Lumet. The dialogue is never dull and propels the entire film, as it would have to in a movie with only one location.
If I have an issue with 12 Angry Men it is in the story arc. For a film where ambiguity is key to keeping our interest, the bookends are a little too black and white. While this does not take anything away form your enjoyment of the film while enjoying the journey, it was problematic as I began to dwell on the film after viewing. 12 Angry Men has endured as a classic for very good reason. Its topics are timeless, it has very good performances, and the dialogue sets a standard that other films should try to match. A great film no doubt, if not perfect in my opinion.