12 Angry Men - A masterpiece for a good reason
One of the best feelings is experiencing a highly praised media project that's critically acclaimed, expecting it to be overrated, and then discovering that it's truly deserving of every ounce of praise it gets. Naturally I had pretty high expectations going into 12 Angry Men and damn was I happy they were met. It’s quite a challenge to shoot a whole movie in one location and keep things visually interesting the whole time, even Tarantino has some trouble with this (and he's done it multiple times). I was impressed with how varied the shots were in the jury room, and how the jurors themselves were blocked in frame. There’s some basic but impactful dolly shots where you track a juror as they ponder a new piece of info while you hear the rest of them deliberate on the side. Plenty of moments in 12 Angry Men feel personal, and it’s a testament to the skill of the cast for pulling off these close ups with nothing but expressions.
I was pretty curious how the concept could be sustained over a full length runtime but I wasn’t expecting a mystery of sorts to creep up. As each juror brings their perspective to the table and information gets revealed to the audience and compared, a very gripping story plays out. On top of this, you’ve got all of the nuanced writing. Conversations about the slums, class status and how we view criminals are fascinating and only grow better with time. There’s some pretty clear racial subtext here as well, but I completely get why it’s not explicitly said.
12 Angry Men was such a fascinating watch and it left me with plenty to ponder about our justice system and certain types of people, be they jurors or criminals. Don’t be discouraged by the 1957 tag or the black and white footage, it becomes so easy to overlook with how fantastic the scriptwriting is. Plus, it’s on Tubi, an easy streaming site packed with other gems like this.
Hi James, I enjoyed reading your post and I have never seen the movie so this was a very helpful review. I personally love old films so the black and white aspect actually draws me in! I'm interested to see what the conversations about slums, class status, and criminals among white men is like because often when I see these issues discussed its from a modern point of view by black people. I'm interested to see how these men were at disadvantage during a time period I wasn't even alive in. Our justice system definitely has flaws and while we are making small strides I believe bigger ones can be made. After watching the film, what changes did you immediately want to see in the justice system and have any of those changes been enacted today?
ReplyDeleteHi James, Great Post!
ReplyDelete"12 Angry Men" sounds like a remarkable film, especially given its ability to keep viewers engaged despite being set in a single location. The mention of how the movie uses varied camera shots and blocking to maintain visual interest is intriguing. It seems to effectively use close-ups and dolly shots to add depth to its characters, highlighting their internal deliberations and emotions. The fact that the film turns into a sort of mystery, revealing layers of the story as each juror shares their perspective, adds to its appeal. The exploration of themes such as class, justice, and racial subtext, as mentioned, seems to give the film a timeless quality. Your description suggests that "12 Angry Men" is much more than a courtroom drama; it's a profound study of human nature and societal issues, making it relevant even today.
James, I always enjoy reading your takes on different films. I've heard of this film, but never took the time to watch it. Based off your review, I think I will find time to watch it. I love a good black and white film anyways. It would be interesting to see the themes of social class, conversations about slums, and the racial subtext. I'm really big on how things are written, and how well filmmakers are able to bring that script to life, so judging your commentary, I will definitely have to see this for myself.
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