Sidney Lumet, a legend of cinema and one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever lived, passed away today at the age of 86. In honor of Mr. Lumet, here is my review of his 1957 classic, "12 Angry Men":
The twelve jurors commence their deliberations on a sweltering summer day in New York City. It is their duty to decide the fate of the teenage defendant, who is charged with the murder of his father. If the twelve men find the defendant guilty, then he will be sentenced to death. When the twelve men convene in an overheated room to discuss the matter at hand, eleven of the men seem thoroughly convinced of the defendant's guilt. They crack jokes about the supposed obviousness of the case. Only a fool would think that the defendant is innocent. One of the men suggests that they take a quick vote and get over with it. After all, he ain't got all day, and he has tickets to the Yankee game later that night. One juror, however, votes not guilty. The rest of the jurors are flabbergasted. How can this man possibly believe that the boy is innocent? The dissenting juror calmly states his case, explaining that the case at least warrants a thoughtful discussion. The dissenting juror wants to ensure that all aspects of the case are reflected upon before the jury decides to send the teenage boy to his death. The dissenting juror proceeds to explain why he believes that the boy might be innocent. As time progresses, the atmosphere becomes increasingly hot, both literally and metaphorically. Tensions escalate, and one-by-one, the remaining eleven jurors become convinced of the boy's innocence.
The entirety of Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men takes place inside the jury room, and that is what makes the film so extraordinarily compelling. 12 Angry Men is as great a film as has ever been made, a stunning achievement that continues to endure 54 years after its initial release. The beauty of this magnificent movie is that the viewer feels an intense sense of proximity to the jurors. Lumet's fimmaking is so effective and involving that the viewer can tangibly feel the stifling heat of the deliberation room. The viewer can tangibly feel the tempers and insecurities of the jurors. Very few films leave such a profound emotional impact.
12 Angry Men is the epitome of an ensemble work. The cast is uniformly astonishing. Henry Fonda is a revelation as the dissenting juror who slowly but surely convinces the remaining jurors of the boy's innocence. Lee J. Cobb is brilliant as a bitter juror who is wrestling with some inner demons due to his fractured relationship with his son. Jack Warden is mesmerizing as an impatient juror with a desperate yearning to end his jury duty so he can attend the Yankees game. Ed Begley is superb as a bigoted juror whose prejudice prevents him from making an impartial assessment of the defendant. Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney, Robert Webber, and George Voskovec are also excellent as the remaining jurors. The Reginald Rose screenplay is a work of thrilling perfection, a searing look inside the minds of the jurors and the heavy burden that has been placed upon them. The film is flawlessly edited by Carl Lerner, as it moves at a breathtaking pace. There is never a dull moment.
The driving force behind the film, however, is the late great Sidney Lumet. 12 Angry Men is the work of a master in full command of his craft. Every frame of 12 Angry Men is an exercise of precise genius. Every shot is deftly executed. One of the most ingenious aspects of 12 Angry Men is the way Lumet handles the scenes related to the inclement weather. In lesser hands, using turbulent weather as a metaphor for burgeoning discord could seem forced. But in the masterful hands of Mr. Lumet, the metaphor is an enormously powerful one. Sidney Lumet made some of the greatest films of all-time (Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network, The Verdict), and in 2007, at the age of 82, Lumet made the brilliant Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, a testament to his ageless talent. As great as those films are, however, 12 Angry Men is Mr. Lumet's best. 12 Angry Men is an endlessly captivating reminder of Sidney Lumet's remarkable career.
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