12 Angry Men (1957)

Release date: 1957-04-10
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Sidney Lumet
Production Co: Orion-Nova Productions
Genre: Drama
Rating: 8.9/10
Length: 1h 36min

Storyline

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young man is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open-and-shut case of murder soon becomes a detective story that presents a succession of clues creating doubt, and a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room.

Plot Keywords

jury, dialogue driven, courtroom, single set production, racism, all male cast, ensemble cast, judicial system, justice, prejudice, trial, heat wave, law, switchblade, real time, rainstorm, advertising executive, argument, homicide, doubt

Short Review

Too few films take on the art of arguing as a subject; we could certainly use more of them, but until then, Lumet's window into strained civic duty will continue to serve mightily.