Review: 12 Angry Men Is Guilty Only Of Being Great
- May 8, 2018
- 1 min read
95 minutes of nothing but conversation. For an action film lover like myself, this is torture. And yet, it’s more engaging than most of modern cinema.
A young man is accused of murdering his father. If found guilty he will be put to death. The jury assemble and vote, guilty or not. 11 of them find the boy guilty but one, Juror Number 8 (Henry Fonda), thinks otherwise. And so the discussion begins.
12 Angry Men is a very interesting film. There’s no action, no antagonist and arguably no protagonist. It is simply 12 men, each with their own views, opinions and histories, sitting in a room, discussing the guilt of an individual they don’t know. It’s also maybe the best mystery of all time expertly unfolding, revealing details bit by bit in a wholly organic manner. For a film that is entirely dialogue, it’s more than engaging. It’s riveting.
There are so many small touches that change over the course of the film. The ever present heat, the broken fan, the changing views of the jurors, the slowly shifting opinions, flowing freely like desert sands. It’s fascinating, taking in the small details, forming your own opinions. Indeed, it often feels as if you’re there, picking sides and throwing in your own vote.
12 Angry Men is without a doubt one of the greatest films ever made. If you haven’t seen it, you absolutely should. And if you have, watch it again, it’s absolutely worth it.
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