12 Angry Men (1957)

Directed by: Sidney Lumet | 96 minutes | drama, crime | Actors: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, EG Marshall, Jack Klugman, Ed Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber

Talk, talk, talk. Sidney Lumet’s films are full of razor-sharp dialogue. That talking sometimes turns into yelling, after which an unparalleled verbal joust ensues. Lumet’s dialogues are also about something. Born in New York in 1924, the director and writer does not shy away from discussing controversial topics. Corruption in the police, for example (‘Serpico’, 1973), or the dubious practices behind the scenes of a successful television station (‘Network’, 1977). Lumet immediately started his long career very convincingly with ’12 Angry Men’ (1957), a film in which he immediately demonstrates that he has a good dose of guts. In just an hour and a half of verbal battle, Lumet puts the American justice system in the spotlight. He doesn’t need much more than a sultry room with twelve hot-tempered men in it. It is very clever that Lumet manages to make a setting, which looks deadly boring on paper, so fascinating! ’12 Angry Men’ grew over the years to become one of the greatest court dramas of all time.

The story of ’12 Angry Men’ is simple. A teenager is accused of murdering his father. The jury may decide whether he is guilty or not. If found guilty, he most likely faces the death penalty. In the decision-making process, each jury member has his own reasons on which he bases his judgment. One looks purely at the facts on the table in front of him, another lets his feelings speak more. Another wants to go home as soon as possible to cool down. In the jury room, a boiling point is slowly reached. Not only is it one of the hottest days of the year, emotions are also running high because one of the jury members – unlike his ‘colleagues’ – wants to delve deeper into the matter. This judge number eight (Henry Fonda) is fully aware that a human life is at stake here and insists that the verdict is carefully thought out. He feels there is something fishy about the case and is determined to convince the other eleven jurors. Initially he gets little support, but once one sheep is over the dam… Not every member of the jury is equally easy to convince.

’12 Angry Men’ is a film about justice and injustice, which is completely dependent on the acting performance. We are all responsible for justice to be done, is the message from Lumet and screenwriter Reginald Rose. The fact that it is not always easy to switch off your own feelings is reflected in the various jury members. We don’t know their names, but because they initially base their opinions on their personal emotions, you do learn something about them. Judges number three (Lee J. Cobb) and ten (Ed Begley) in particular hold tight to their own values. They are therefore not immediately willing to change their opinion because juror number eight (who in fact represents common sense) requires them to do so. Juror number seven (Jack Warden) is a special case. He blows with all the wind because he doesn’t want to miss a baseball game and just wants to get home as soon as possible. According to Lumet, the strength of the American legal system is that you can come to a fair judgment with twelve completely different people (for the record: this is a cross-section of American society in 1957 – no women or African Americans are represented). Although you do need the necessary persuasion for that.

In a very small space (except for the very first and the very last scene, everything takes place in the jury room) Lumet manages to create a fascinating spectacle. That in itself is already a major achievement. With only a few stylistic devices, including the use of different lenses and a play with perspectives, the director builds up the tension. Towards the end, when the atmosphere becomes grim and oppressive, these are ideal tools for drawing the viewer into the judges’ state of mind. A simple trick to make the audience feel claustrophobic, but it works! Lumet also knows better than anyone how to bring out the best in his cast. Henry Fonda and especially Lee J. Cobb distinguish themselves with their acting. It’s amazing how Fonda can keep his cool with the intense Cobb in front of him, who carries an intense bitterness that gets a little more exposed as the film progresses. Cobb fascinates and draws you into the depths. His emotions are almost palpable. He is almost single-handedly responsible for fueling the tension to a boiling point.

’12 Angry Men’ is rightly regarded as one of the highlights of film history. They are no longer made like this movie. Looking at the plethora of special effects in the films that appear in our cinemas today, the brilliance of this debut film by Sidney Lumet can only be emphasized once again. With a group of very strong actors, a subtle but convincing build-up of tension and a few simple directing tricks, he comes far, very far. Court drama has rarely been so captivating!