12 Angry Men is a 1957 “courtroom drama” movie with Henry Fonda. Simply put it is the story of a trial where an eighteen-year-old is accused of murdering his father and the twelve members of the jury must discuss his case. If they deliberate that he is innocent, then he is set free, if proven guilty then he will be sentenced with the death penalty; the decision must however be unanimous.
In the beginning eleven out of the twelve members seem convinced beyond a doubt that the young man has done what he has been accused of and just one of them thinks of the possibility that he may be innocent. The movie features their discussions and how step by step they deconstruct the case.
The degree of tension is crafted through gestures, a slow-paced narrative and the conversations between the members of the jury; even minute details such as someone who is taking their time in a bathroom or someone who asks about a baseball game help to build up the atmosphere. It is the hottest day of the year and the humidity felt in the room helps to symbolize the moral difficulty of their arduous decision and this is also emphasized in the movie: sweat droplets form on their forehead, there are perspiration patterns on their shirts, there is even a busted ventilator that they try to fix.
The jury members are wonderfully portrayed by the actors because of their different personalities, frequently creating contrast between their way of thinking; quirks also contribute to this characterization.
Is this movie about hope or is it about the reliability of truth? The fact that from the very beginning the viewer perceives the desperate situation of the young man opens up a broader view of the complexity of perspective. The personal reasons of the jury members also influence their decisions; this in turn emphasizes the deconstruction and exploration of the limitations on the viewpoint of others. Truth becomes biased, but this should never happen in a court of law, especially when the life of a person hangs in the balance.
I would give this movie a solid 7 out of 10 gavels.