Twelve Angry Men

Twelve jury members crowded and locked into a room on the hottest day of the year. The decision of whether an 18 year-old lives or dies is left in their hands.

This is a brilliantly simple, brilliantly acted and brilliantly engineered film. It is a court room drama where all the action happens in one location, there is no new evidence thrown in, except what is there to start with. It is a triumph in the examination of human reason.

Henry Fonda fronts the cast and is also the producer. He is surrounded by interesting, quirky and believable characters, each with their own agenda. With a distinguished balance of humour, logic and frustration, the plot unravels in a predictable, but engaging way.

A few moments are a little lack-lustre, but generally, the pace is quick enough so that these moments pass.

There are some beautiful moments of repartee, challenge and powerful silences. It is a treat to watch the changes of heart within each of the characters and to see what the reason is – from the passionate, the apathetic, the unsure, the stubborn and the coldly logical.

Through the dialogue, the film explores prejudice and its influence on persuasion. Masculine pride is at stake and that too is seen as a stumbling block for the truth. In the end however, the truth comes out clearer than day and justice is done.

The close of the film is as captivating as the rest, with a silent exchange between Fonda and his effective antagonist (if he can be called that). The film closes with the first naming of a character and only the fourth change of scenery.
The simplicity of this film is a wake-up call to the writers of blockbusters and is an encouragement to anyone interested in writing that it is possible to write a compelling film which is all contained in one space. I thoroughly recommend you have a look at this 1957 all-time classic.