Reviewed by Melissa Garza
“Wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth.” – Juror# 8 (Henry Fonda)
A common and painfully true cliché people often utter when discussing the classics is that “they just don’t make them like that anymore.“ That isn’t to say that they don’t try. In remake after remake, so many filmmakers attempt to recapture the magic of the earlier productions, but nearly always the effort fails miserably. The simple formula of a strong plot sold by solid characters and great actors has been lost in the new world of CGI, simple though meaningless dialogue, and gorgeous models who can‘t act. It’s sad.
Perhaps, if the classics didn’t exist, the films today wouldn’t be so painful to sit through. Just knowing that there was a time when Hollywood expected more from its audience is enough to feel disrespected by the filmmakers of today. There was a time when moviegoers were given an opportunity to view a production that challenged their ideals and thoughts; where the hero didn’t battle the bad guys, but pointed out the flaws in generally good ones. Yes, believe it or not, there was a time when movies were directed towards an audience that appreciated civil discourse and intelligent discussion. It is these films that to this day serve the same purpose and stir the same emotions within. The strongest and most significant example is 12 Angry Men.
12 Angry Men on the surface is a very simple movie with a very basic plot. A young man who is known to have gotten into violent altercations with his father in the past is now on trial for his murder. It is up to a jury to determine the guilt or innocence of the defendant. If found guilty the boy will surely die. All of the evidence known seems to indicate that the boy did in fact commit the crime. Most of the jurors believe the verdict will be reached quickly. When the foreman/Juror# 1 (Martin Balsam) takes a preliminary vote, 11 jurors raise their hand indicating that they feel the boy is ‘guilty.’ Only one, Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) votes ‘not guilty.’ He is quickly ridiculed by a few of the men for what they mistake as being a softie or ignorant to the facts. Here, is when the movie truly begins. With three exceptions (the courtroom, outside the courtroom, and the washroom) the entire film takes place in the chambers.
There’s no shocking conclusion, no twists, no sex, no foul language, and no violence. The entire movie is focused on these twelve men talking. That’s it. That’s the whole film, and it’s the most brilliant production ever put forth. We don’t know the characters names (though two are revealed at the end). No. They are simply numbers. Still, they are portrayed by such dynamic actors and each character has such personality that it is impossible not to be drawn into each one. There is so much depth to the individuals; and then there’s the dialogue. Never has there been better written dialogue. Each character is tested and many are forced to battle their own personal demons. Prejudice and discrimination is discussed openly and in a manner that is so compelling one can watch it over and over again.
There are so many scenes within the film that stand out as significant and give the viewer chills as watching. In one, Juror # 10 (Ed Begley) goes on a tirade upset that more jurors are beginning to question the guilt of the boy on trial. His rant is racist and ignorant. No one stops him. There’s no outbreak or fight or debate on right or wrong. Instead, juror by juror, each man stands up from the table and turns away from him. His rant transcends from forceful and adamant to desperate and almost sad. In the end, as he realizes that all of the ill feelings he took for granted as true were actually ignorant and offensive, he takes refuge by himself at a small table looking away from everyone else. This entire movie and that scene in particular proves the old saying, ‘less is more.’ Everyone could have jumped on Juror #10 and righteously declared how foolish he was, but instead simply turning away from him in silent protest sends an even stronger message and makes for one of the best scenes in history.
Everything about this movie is superb. The casting is impeccable. Lee J. Cobb perfects the loudmouth know-it-all who is determined to stick behind his ‘guilty’ verdict. Jack Klugman is spectacular as Juror #5. #5 constantly attempts to keep cool despite the fact that both the manner he grew up and his nationality are being brought into the conversation in effort to reach a guilty verdict. As he seeks the truth and stands up for himself against Juror # 3 (Lee J. Cobb), Klugman pulls the audience into the struggle. Klugman’s demeanor and mannerisms bring the character alive. In every performance, he always triggers emotion within the viewer. He is by far one of the finest actors to ever grace the screen, and in 12 Angry Men he made his nameless character one of the most memorable in film history.
12 Angry Men is an untouchable classic. It stands the test of time and challenges the viewer exactly today as it did upon its release. The reason is simple. It’s a film that calls into question the same aspects of human nature that Rod Serling’s masterpiece The Twilight Zone had so commonly done. Human nature doesn’t often change and that is why the classics still radiate. When a film made 50 years ago is easier to relate to than the ones made today, something has gone wrong.
With the advance of technology and what we are capable of doing and making on screen, filmmakers should glorify in coming up with masterpieces in their own right. Instead, they’ve substituted bells and whistles for substance. Eye candy cannot replace the feeling one gets when hearing Juror #8’s speech after Juror # 10’s meltdown. It speaks to the very soul of the viewer and it sticks. Nothing CGI can do can even come close to that. When the moviemakers realize that and concentrate more on their characters and on the dialogue, maybe they can prove the clichés wrong, and give our generation some movies to be proud of.
In the meantime, thankfully we do have the classics. For those who haven’t seen 12 Angry Men, it’s a must-see. It is possibly the greatest film of all time and I would personally even rate it above Citizen Kane.
Overall Rating 10/10
