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Twelve Angry Men [1957] | ![Twelve Angry Men [1957]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EJ0B84MSL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Sidney Lumet
Actors: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.g. Marshall, Jack Klugman
Studio: MGM Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £4.97
You Save: £8.02 (62%)
New (11) Used (4) from £4.00
Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 486
Format: Black & White, Dubbed, Pal, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Dubbed), German (Dubbed), Italian (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5050070005172
ASIN: B000059L83
Theatrical Release Date: August 14, 1957
Release Date: March 19, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Sidney Lumet's directorial debut Twelve Angry Men remains a tense, atmospheric (though slightly manipulative and stagey) courtroom thriller, in which the viewer never sees a trial and the only action is verbal. As he does in his later corruption commentaries such as Serpico or Q & A, Lumet focuses on the lonely one-man battles of a protagonist whose ethics alienate him from the rest of jaded society. As the film opens, the seemingly open-and-shut trial of a young Puerto Rican accused of murdering his father with a knife has just concluded and the 12-man jury retires to their microscopic, sweltering quarters to decide the verdict. When the votes are counted, 11 men rule guilty, while one--played by Henry Fonda, again typecast as another liberal, truth-seeking hero--doubts the obvious. Stressing the idea of "reasonable doubt", Fonda slowly chips away at the jury, who represent a microcosm of white, male society--exposing the prejudices and preconceptions that directly influence the other jurors' snap judgments. The tight script by Reginald Rose (based on his own teleplay) presents each juror vividly using detailed soliloquies, all which are expertly performed by the film's flawless cast. Still, it's Lumet's claustrophobic direction--all sweaty close-ups and cramped compositions within a one-room setting--that really transforms this contrived story into an explosive and compelling nail-biter. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
A Courtroom Classic March 1, 2006
Greg Farefield-Rose (Hertfordshire United Kingdom)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Classic film set entirely in a jury room apart from the first and last couple of minutes. A Puerto Rican young man is tried for murder and the jury retire to reach their verdict. The capital case seems to be clear-cut but one juror bravely registers a not-guilty verdict and gradually convinces the others of the flaws in the prosecution, exposing their prejudices and differences in the process.
Twelve Angry Men is a brilliantly made film with some clever directional touches used to highlight the tension and claustrophobia of the jury room. Its central story is as relevant now as when it was made almost 50 years ago. Simple but effective. An absolute classic.
Peddlers of the Common Blockbuster Take Note August 2, 2006
Mr. A. E. Hall (Liverpool, UK)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
12 Angry Men is a forgotten classic. When talking about the greatest films of all time, it rarely comes up. Yet EVERY single person I have met who has seen the film has adored it.
In a movie world where big celebrities and expensive special effects seem to be what brings the money in, this film is so refreshing. In this film, there is only one star name - Henry Fonda. He plays one of only 14 speaking parts in movie. There are four sets: The courtroom (2 minutes at the start), outside the courthouse (30 seconds at the end), and then the bathroom and the jury room. No fancy effects, just 12 characters with nothing but a script in their heads to give to keep you entertained. This is how films can be done!
The plot is simple; a young boy is accused of murder. The case seems open and shut to 11 of the jurors who vote guilty. Only one (Fonda) is even unsure. When he wants to discuss further he is greeted by two bigots, desperate to put 'one of them' to the chair, a man who is only interested in going to watch his beloved Yankees and cares little for the outcome and a host of weary men, who are sick of the whole situation; very few are even prepared to listen. For the next two hours, every fact of the case is ironed out until what was black and white becomes very grey.
12 Angry Men is one of the finest films I have ever seen. Sidney Lumet's directing captures the stuffy, intense and claustrophobic atmosphere of the room while all the actors make their characters memorable. This film is a dream.
The Greatest Film Ever Made August 17, 2006
Reg Superman
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Produced by Henry Fonda and Reginald Rose (screenwriter and the author of the original play) and directed by the great Sidney Lumet (in this his cinematic debut) this mainly jury room centred film, is quite simply the greatest film ever made. Lumet, who cut his teeth in television, brought a lot of unknown television acting talent with him to this unique piece of work. Seasoned film actors, Fonda, Lee J Cobb, Ed Begley, Robert Preston and E G Marshall dovetail seamlessly with the other players, among them Martin Balsam, Jack Warden, Jack Klugman and Edward Binns.
The plot is ridiculously simple. A young Hispanic man is on trial for murdering his father, and in what appears to the majority of the jury, an open and shut case of guilty.
One man, Henry Fonda, as juror number 8, stands alone as the dissenting voice against the prejudice and preconceived ideas of the other 11. Though bit by bit, the evidence is broken down and what initially appeared so certain becomes a reasonable doubt in enough of the jurors minds as to expose the bigoted notions of a couple of them.
The essence of this film is in it's refreshing simplicity in terms of staging, dialogue and delivery. The actors are all on top of their game, working with first class material. Other films rely on epic sets and or clever camera techniques to hold the audiences attention. (I discount Citizen Kane from that as it was a true landmark achievement) This film, above all others, proves that that is not necessary. Twelve Angry Men rewards the viewer even after the 30th watch (certainly in my case! I could play the parts myself, although not quite as good!). Simply the best!
"I wouldn't change my mind if you talked a hundred years." July 26, 2004
Mary Whipple (New England)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
With its "closed room" setting in a jury room, as jurors decide the fate of an 18-year-old accused of killing his father, the drama and suspense of this Sidney Lumet-directed film depends entirely on the interactions of its cast for the suspense and interest. Martin Balsam, E. G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, and Ed Begley play supporting roles as jurors as tension develops between Lee J. Cobb, the juror most anxious to convict, and Henry Fonda, the only juror to vote a murder suspect not guilty on the jury's first vote. All the jurors on this all-male jury are blithely ignorant of their own prejudices, and their casual assumptions about "other people" and the stereotypes and cliches they accept as truth feel almost ancient. As a time capsule of life in the 1950s, long before the civil rights movement and the consciousness-raising that followed in its wake, however, the film is startling in its clarity.The acting is superb. The slightly built eighteen-year-old immigrant on trial for his father's murder could not look more like a victim of the system, and these jurors, on the hottest day of the year, are frustrated and anxious to get on with their lives. When Fonda, calm and self-deprecating, wants to investigate the evidence further, the annoyance of the rest of the jury becomes palpable, and their prejudices are revealed. "Slums are breeding grounds for criminals," "These people are dangerous, wild," "They don't know what the truth is," and "They are violent by nature," are all statements which reveal the "us vs. them" fear of immigrants. The jury's preconceived viewpoints, the failure of the boy's lawyer to represent him adequately, and other possible interpretations of the "evidence" are so obvious to the modern viewer that the pleasure of this film rests in the excellence of the acting. Black and white film is appropriate to issues of right and wrong, a murder trial, and the death penalty. The camera work, focusing on the jurors' faces and the attitudes they reveal, and small clues about the backgrounds of individual jurors create a large canvas of twelve individualized (angry) men who will decide whether the accused will live or die. Small "sub-scenes" within the jury room and washroom give particular actors an opportunity to interact privately, and Joseph Sweeney (Juror #9), the elderly juror first convinced by Fonda's arguments, is particularly memorable for his warmth and his ability to engage the viewer's empathy. A classic, brilliantly acted film written by Reginald Rose, this film preserves attitudes of half a century ago and may be one of the few films in which no woman makes an appearance. Mary Whipple
Atmospheric Classic That Never Ages July 4, 2000
Mr. Mark S. Hargrave (Bishops Stortford, England)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
One of the best films I've ever seen. It captures the mood of both the time and the situation brilliantly. Fonda is superb but each of the actors deserves credit, including a young Jack Klugman (Quincy). Having seen the film many times with my wife, we know exactly what's coming next, but this never detracts from our viewing, indeed it suits to enhance it. Altogether, a joy to watch and an excellent example of people maintaining their values at all costs. If only all youngsters from today could look - they would only learn from it.
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