"They don’t make films like that anymore’, how often has that simple comment
come up of late? It can not help to come to mind while watching one of the truly
great experiences in American film, ’12 Angry Men’. This film demonstrates that
you do not need special effects, big budgets or a variety of sets to make a
great movie. The movie is simplicity personified and yet it provides a vehicle
of incredible talent before and behind the camera. The plot can be summarized in
a single sentence. Twelve men sitting on a jury deliberate in the capital crime
of murder. The genius here is these twelve actors take this premise and explore
the very core of the human experience. A teenager of unspecified ‘ethnic’ nature
is accused of the cold blooded murder of his father. When the first vote is
called in the jury room the vote is eleven to one, only juror number 8 (Henry
Fonda) votes not guilty. Initially his reason is the gravity of the mandatory
death sentence; no one should be condemned to die without at least a discussion
of the case. The initial façade of civility soon breaks down as tempers flair
and the jurors are pulled one by one into the heated debate. Number 8 acts as
the devil’s advocate, while uncertain at first of the boy’s innocence the legal
theory of ‘reasonable doubt’ becomes the focus of the discussion. Piece by piece
the evidence is brought under closer scrutiny that was afforded at the trial.
The switchblade that was so unique is questioned when Number 8 pulls a perfect
copy of it out of his pocket, a knife that he bought in shop during an evening
walk. The testimony of an elderly man is shrouded in doubt when the distance and
time he testified to seems very improbable. One by one ‘reasonable doubt’ is
created in the minds of the stubborn jurors. If that wasn’t enough to make a
gripping drama during the proceedings the individual aspects of human nature are
exhibited in the jurors. There is the ever logical Juror Number 4 (E. G.
Marshall), the impatient sports fan Juror Number 7 (Jack Warden) willing to
change his vote just to be in time for a baseball game and the bigoted Number 10
(Ed Begley) whose racist rants result in a memorable moment when each juror gets
up from the table and turns their back on him. Then main opponent to the vote of
not guilty is Number 3 (Lee J. Cobb) whose inner motives come spilling out in
the climax of the film.
This cast is the dream team of drama. There is not one single actor that does
not give his all. There are aspects of each performance that the audience will
identify with, sometimes much to their dismay. The emotions presented are not
always pretty, they are raw and from the gut. Fonda starts off his performance
with a calm demeanor that gradually increases in its intensity. Such control in
a performance was rare enough decades ago, now it is almost unknown. Begley
plays the bigot without apology. This is the way his character thinks and feels
and nothing, not even the ostracism of his fellow jurors would make any real
change. Veteran character actor Joseph Sweeney as Number 9 shows just how
important each role is in this type of drama. His ability to empathize with the
elderly witness is a touching moment. The performance of Cobb is perhaps the
best in the long career of this stellar professional. His character simmers, his
inner feelings unable to be contained finally boil over. These actors do more
than say their lines. They embody each of their characters to the point where
you forget this is a movie and feel you are watching something real. This after
all is the purpose of cinema, to transport you to another life and this film
does this as no other.
Sidney Lumet is perhaps one of the most underappreciated directors around. While
he is rarely mentioned with the luminaries of Coppola, Scorsese or Spielberg
these directors learned much from the technical perfection of Lumet. Lumet
started his career as a director of photography, the crew member that is
responsible for choosing the lens the director will use in a given shot. Few
people in cinema ever have the familiarity with the visual properties of lens
like Lumet. Where many directors choose to use the camera as a voyeur Lumet
assigns a proactive role to his. The camera participates, its visual perspective
helps to form the experience of the audience and relate the story. Here in 12
Angry Men the camera and lens work is a textbook case of how a film should be
shot. With each scene Lumet increased the focal length of the lens, effectively
pulling in the set, making the room seem to grow smaller and more
claustrophobic. He also shoots the first third of the film above eye level,
moves to eye level for the second third and finally below eye level for the
conclusion. This adds to the tightness of the room by pulling the ceiling into
the later shots. As the emotional tensions mount the room presses in on the
cast, you can almost feel the air being squeezed from the small room. Due to his
beginnings in television Lumet is comfortable with a 4:3 framing. While most
films of this time period relied on Technicolor and a wide aspect he chose the
Academy ratio and black and white to heighten the realism of the film. The
frequent tight close ups that showcase the emotional power of the actors flies
off the screen and impacts the audience on a visceral level.
No, this is not the DVD to show off the advanced technology of your home
theater. It is a disc that accurately reproduces one of the greatest films made.
The full screen video is remarkably crisp considering the age of the source
material. The mono audio presents the all important dialogue in a clear,
undistorted fashion. Unfortunately, for a film of this stature there is really
nothing in the way of extras. If any film cries out for a director’s commentary
it is this one. Don’t get this disc for the technology, get it, watch it and
cherish it for what it is, a great film.
This film has now reached its golden anniversary and 20th
Century Fox is celebrating. The new features include a making of featurette
called Beyond A Reasonable Doubt: Making of 12 Angry
Men. There is also 'Inside the Jury Room' that focuses on the dramatic setting
of the film.
Posted 11/7/03
