FILM CHALLENGE: 37) 12 Angry Men

37) 12 Angry Men

Director: Sidney Lumet

Year: 1957

Plot Summary: A 12-man jury is sent to begin deliberations in the first-degree murder trial of an 18-year-old Latino accused in the stabbing death of his father, where a guilty verdict means an automatic death sentence. The case appears to be open-and-shut: The defendant has a weak alibi; a knife he claimed to have lost is found at the murder scene; and several witnesses either heard screaming, saw the killing or the boy fleeing the scene. Eleven of the jurors immediately vote guilty; only Juror No. 8 casts a not guilty vote. At first Mr. Davis' bases his vote more so for the sake of discussion. But as the deliberations unfold, the case appears to be more complex than it first seemed and Juror No. 8 must convince the others to consider the fact that the boy may be innocent.

I had to watch a court proceeding as part of my Journalism course a few months ago. While I can't go into lots of detail for obvious reasons, it involved an assault against a woman. At first, as the prosecution read out the facts, it seemed totally clear that the boy who was accused of these charges was guilty; he fit the bill, had a long history of previous convictions and it seemed like he had a motive. Then, the defence shared their side of the story and it suddenly became more complicated. No longer did I believe it was the boy's fault and I felt sympathy for the teenager at the front of the court. I also felt incredibly guilty as I'd let my prejudice determine whether I thought he was innocent or guilty. However, things like this are an everyday part of the judicial system. As the prosecution always goes first, it's almost impossible not to have initial prejudices against a defendant, but, like in every case I saw that morning including that boy's, it's never as easy as it seems on the surface.

This is what 12 Angry Men hopes to show and it does so in a dramatic, tense and gripping way. At first, eleven of the jurors believe that it's an "open and shut case" of murder, but as they talk about the facts they begin to see that there is reason to doubt whether the accused did the crime. In many ways, the drama plays like a mystery story, only there is no criminal to catch, instead they are trying to save someone innocent from being branded a criminal. It's less of a who-done-it than it is a did-he-do-it.

Moreover, the film has a strong message about the way America treated - and arguably still treats - working class immigrants. Many of the characters refuse to change their vote to 'not guilty' despite the fact that there's enough reason to doubt he did it because of where he grew up and the neighbourhood that he lives in. It's something that I can quite clearly imagine, after my aforementioned visit to court, happens more often than we'd like to believe.

All the action takes place in one small room and there is nothing but talking for the entire 90 minute running length, but it never loses its pace or flow and is as engrossing as any motion picture has ever been. However, one thing that always amazes me about this film is that despite the small setting, the short running length and the use of only words, every single one of the 12 jurors is well-developed, three-dimensional and has their own personality. Every single one of the 12 actors would have been worthy of an Oscar nomination too. It's one of the greatest acting ensembles I have ever seen.

As viewers, we always side with the underdog in a story and we love to watch him take on the majority. Everything from Rocky and On The Waterfront to One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and To Kill A Mockingbird use this storyline, but for my money, nobody does it quite as good as 12 Angry Men. You're almost immediately drawn into the case and back Juror No. 8 as he takes on those who have voted 'guilty'. You even begin to feel hatred for those in the majority who refuse to let anyone or anything change their opinion and when they slip up or have a point thrown back at them it's impossible not to feel a sting of satisfaction at their loss. In a way, it's like a boxing match fought with words instead of fists.

12 Angry Men is deservedly a classic piece of cinema and one that it's hard to believe will ever date, lose it's effect or become irrelevant.

5/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment