12 Angry Men Review

Twelve men, one room, and the life of another hanging in the balance.

12 Angry Men is a triumph of a film released 58 years ago. Such a simple premise, watching a jury deliberation regarding a murder case, yet its power is unwavering, its performances superb. As the viewers of this Sidney Lumet masterpiece, we don't get to see any of the crime, as no flashbacks are shown to recreate what the men are discussing. We don't get to see any of the trial, because their words are plenty to provide us the details. What we get is a remarkably disciplined work that isn't really about the victim, the accused or the crime itself. 12 Angry Men is a character study about the different personalities inside that room, the prejudices they bring with them that can alter their perspective about the facts of a case, and the judicial system as a whole and the importance of reasonable doubt.

These men are merely faces and voices to each other, and to some the most important thing is getting the decision over with because their plans are awaiting after they are released from their duty. I have always been fascinated by the real world stories of crime and their aftermath, the trial, the evidence, the jury and analyzing the verdict they eventually reach. I have heard of real life trials in which a jury member will admit later that the fact that they just wanted to go home played a role in swaying their decision, and I was always amazed and disgusted by this thought. I know, it's easy for me to judge as I am enjoying the comforts that are afforded with not being in their shoes, but I would like to think I would be able to take a step back and look at the big picture. This is justice for a life lost. This is how the accused will spend every single day of the rest of their life, whether they will be permanently labeled as guilty or innocent. This is potentially bringing a sense of closure to those who lost someone they loved, or possibly providing the opportunity to continue their search for who really destroyed their world so they can see the right person be punished. 

It is a flawed system, the jury system, because man is fallible and the wrong decision can be reached, but it is also an important one as well. 12 men sitting around a table, and 11 of them are ready to vote a man to his death so they can go home, get some fresh air, perhaps catch a ball game. Only one voice was willing to speak out and bring up some doubts, a voice that could have easily caved and conformed to those around him to make everyone happy, but with that vote a man dies. Can something of that magnitude really be so simple?

5/5

Decades of Cinema - 10 Best of the 1950's

You can find my lists for the 1920's here, 1930's here, and 1940's here. It's time to cover the 1950's, a pretty incredible ten years of filmmaking.

10. Wild Strawberries

The brilliance of Ingmar Bergman can not be overstated. The man was a genius, and one of my favorite works of his is Wild Strawberries, a film that beautifully walks the line of real and surreal with grace and ease. This is without a doubt a far more accessible movie compared to some of his others, as we go on a journey with Isak Borg both in the literal and deeply personal sense as he drives a great distance and also reflects on his life and finds inner peace with himself along the way.

9. Ugetsu

Ugetsu is a tremendously beautiful, haunting ghost story that is celebrated for being one of the defining pieces from the Japanese Golden Age of Film. It is a mystical, magical fable that utilizes gorgeous cinematography to set an atmosphere that is impossible not to admire.

8. A Man Escaped

A man condemned to death in a Nazi prison camp in a then German-occupied France. Much of the film is spent inside the claustrophobic confines of a prison cell, and you can feel the walls closing in around him. The only way out is via escape and a plan is methodically put into place, and the tension is built brilliantly using sound and space. This Robert Bresson film is not only a masterclass in filmmaking on its own regard, but it has since been the inspiration for other major pictures including the Oscar winning Alfonso Cuaron picture Gravity. A Man Escaped is a must see.

7. Rashomon

A film that literally invented terminology referring to scenarios in which multiple eye witness accounts of a single event offer conflicting information. The Rashomon effect. This is a movie worthy of being described as spellbinding, as I cannot look away as I watch it. Rashomon is essentially perfect cinema on every possible level, yet it only ranks as my #7 of its decade. That's how great the 50's were.

6. 12 Angry Men

A sublime example of minimalism done right, 12 Angry Men almost entirely takes place in one room and yet the setting is probably more vital to the storytelling than any single character. A jury deliberates the fate of a man who has been charged with a murder, and the tension in the room is reflected by the climate outside. One of the finest examples of a film being carried by performances that I can think of.

5. The Night of the Hunter

In the review I wrote for Only God Forgives, I explain what is wrong with blindly following a site like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic without giving a movie a chance and making up your own mind. One of the biggest historical examples of thing is The Night of the Hunter, the only film ever directed by Charles Laughton. Why only one? Because it was panned critically out of the gate and was a commercial failure. Now you can't find an expansive list of the greatest films of all time without seeing The Night of the Hunter on it.

4. Paths of Glory

There have been a fair amount of hard hitting war films released since the dawn of the medium, but Paths of Glory is surely one of the greatest. One of a few examples of the genius Stanley Kubrick using his platform to artistically express his anti-war sentiments, the story here involves a group of soldiers who refuse to participate in an attack that is essentially suicide. Three of these men are chosen randomly to face a court-martial for cowardice. 

The first time I saw Paths of Glory, I was literally speechless when it ended. I then proceeded to immediately press play on the remote and watch the entire thing over again without even so much as standing up.

3. Rear Window

For the second straight list of my favorite films from a decade, Alfred Hitchcock will occupy two of the top three spots. Safe to say I am a fan, eh? The difference between the two sets of films is the 1940's variety, with Shadow of a Doubt and Rope, were two movies I had not even seen until relatively recently and I fell in love with as an adult. Here with Rear Window, the love is both due to the exquisite filmmaking and also the nostalgic feeling I get from seeing this so many times throughout my life. I cherished Rear Window nearly 20 years ago and I admire it even more today.

2. Singin' in the Rain

If I am ever even in a slightly dour mood, a little headache, a bad day at work, hell simply stubbing my toe would suffice, I can turn to Singin' in the Rain and everything will be just fine soon after I press play. I used to claim I hated musicals. I used to be an idiot. This is one of the great joys of cinema, a film that absolutely glows thanks to memorable musical numbers, amazing set pieces and tons of laughs. 

1. Vertigo

The best film of the 1950's is also one of my favorite of all time from any era. Vertigo sort of represents what cinematic perfection feels like for me because it was the first film I ever saw that made me understand what the word masterpiece meant. Not to mention the fact that when I lost my Vertigo virginity, I was a 14 year old boy so beautiful women were certainly in my wheelhouse. Probably explains why I was smiling like an idiot whenever Kim Novak was on the screen.

Next will be the 1960's, which will feature some of the finest films ever made.  

100 Favorite Films - #80 - #71

A continuation of my list counting down my 100 favorite films of all time.


80. Toy Story (1995)

I actually wasn't all that into animation as a child. Sure, I had my films that were special to me like The Lion King and Aladdin, but I was far more into live action work like the original Star Wars trilogy, Aliens and Back to the Future.  Suddenly along came a film called Toy Story, the first release by Pixar Animation Studios, and I was mesmerized watching it in the theater as an eleven year old. Now I am thirty and nothing has changed, I still love the film, possibly even more than I did back then because now I understand just how ingenious the entire thing is.


79. Road to Perdition (2002)

My second (and final) Sam Mendes film on the list, Road to Perdition just has something about it that tickles me in just the right way. The mood of the picture is somber, the imagery gloomy, the entire thing completely beautiful. Both a wonderful addition to the mob sub-genre and also a look at a father - son relationship that really resonated with me. One scene in this film involving Paul Newman in the rain is easily one of my favorite single sequences in cinematic history. The usage of sound, or lack there of during that scene...just thinking about it gives me the chills.

If you have seen the film, you may remember the scene I am referring to. If you haven't, do so.


78. Django Unchained (2012)

My Review of Django Unchained

The work of Quentin Tarantino finds its way back onto my list (and it won't be the last time), this being his most recent film. Not much has changed throughout his career when it comes to brilliantly clever dialogue and a unique style, and that is one of the best things QT has going for him. When you see a film of his, there is no mistaking who is at the helm of that work.

Django Unchained is a blast, featuring another Oscar winning collaboration with Christoph Waltz but it certainly wouldn't be fair to only single out his performance. The casting of this film was on point and the performances across the board prove why, everyone fits into their role like a glove and deliver the genius Tarantino script with perfection.


77. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

My Review of Night of the Living Dead

Speaking of Quentin Tarantino, the film Night of the Living Dead and the man who created it, George A. Romero, were things he admired tremendously, even going as far as once saying the middle initial A stood for "A fucking genius". It is hard to disagree, as Romero is to credit (or blame, depending on your opinion) for the amazing popularity of the concept of the zombie. Sure, The Walking Dead may be the reason many currently love the sub-genre, but such shows wouldn't exist without the influential brilliance of Romero paving the way.


76. Unforgiven (1992)

You won't find a ton of westerns on my list of favorite films, as I have had a lot of trouble warming to the genre over the years, but Unforgiven left its mark on me at a young age and I loved it instantly. The fluidity of the pacing, the sweeping feeling of the imagery, and the story itself, everything about this picture works. A Best Picture winner I can agree with.


75. Before Midnight (2013)

My Review of Before Midnight

At this point, you probably assumed when I included the first two films from the Richard Linklater Before trilogy, I would finish off the whole darn thing at some point during this list. You would be correct. Before Midnight is actually my favorite of the three despite ironically being the hardest to watch, because the process of watching people fall in love during the first two installments has turned into the story of a couple that has now been together for nine years, trying to make their relationship work while dealing with the struggles of not only raising their own children but the pain that comes with Jesse not being able to see his son from a previous marriage. The chemistry here between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy has never been stronger, because ironically when things nearly hit rock bottom is when we get to see them at their very best.


74. The Thin Red Line (1998)

A week or so ago I did a "Genius Directors" post regarding Terrence Malick and here he makes his debut on my favorite films list. One of the finest war films ever made, The Thin Red Line is both brutal and beautiful as the horrific nature of war is shown with both gruesome detail and the artistry that comes from a Malick film. What an amazing cast as well, it is an unforgettable picture.


73. 12 Angry Men (1957)

A master work in simplicity, Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men tells the story of 12 members of a jury immediately after the closing arguments have concluded and deliberation must begin. The verdict must be agreed upon unanimously and 11 of the men inside that room all agree on guilty, but one man refuses to succumb to prejudices or pressure from the others who are more worried about their plans later that day than the fact that the life of an 18 year old man hangs in the balance.

Carried by fantastic performances, nearly the entire film takes place on only one set, the jury room. Literally only 3 of the 96 minutes show other locations, and yet despite only experiencing this one set piece the film never drags. Watching the case being discussed and tensions boiling over is fascinating stuff.


72. Stalker (1979)

Director Andrei Tarkovsky was once questioned on whether his film Stalker would be too slow and dull for a theater going audience. His reply? "I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman." This of course refers to the incredible auteurs Robert Bresson and Ingmar Bergman, and if you have screened a Tarkovsky film you would know that the man believed in his art and didn't mold his films to try to score at the box office.

I find nothing slow nor dull about Stalker, a confounding science fiction film that feels so dense and meaningful that I could probably watch it ten more times and still not fully comprehend the artistry that went into it. Two men known as "the Writer" and "the Professor" are looking to enter an area referred to as "the Zone", which is a location where for unknown reasons the laws of physics no longer apply. The goal of entering "the Zone"? To find "the Room", which is believed to have the power to grant any wish of those who enter it.


71. Jaws (1975)

I doubt I am putting an unknown film on your radar with this one, which is an iconic and beloved work.  Jaws single-handedly made it terrifying to go swimming in the ocean, a landmark in its ability to build tension through great filmmaking and a brilliant piece of music.

Next will be #70 through #61. The numbers may be getting smaller but my passion for the films listed will get bigger and bigger. Above is an image from a film that will be a part of the next list.

Any thoughts? Thanks!