12 Angry Men

Photo of DVD cover taken by Kate Dorsey

In the seventh grade my house got together in the theatre every few months and watched a movie.  12 Angry Men was one of them.  At twelve years old I was instantly hooked.  Released in the 1950’s and shown in black and white, I was captivated not only by the jury process, but also by the different characters.  Each man is unique with distinct characteristics.

                Set in a jury room, twelve men must determine whether or not to declare a young defendant innocent or guilty of killing his father.  Eleven of the men immediately declare guilty, which, to my understanding, would sentence the defendant to death.  There is one man, portrayed by Henry Fonda, who stands alone.  He is not certain and pushes the other men to reconsider the evidence and their views.

                As I stated earlier, much of my interest lies in the characters.  So much about each one is revealed in a very short time.  Beliefs and prejudices about where people come from are mostly discussed, but other issues, such as age, come up as well. 

                Despite Henry Fonda being the one to get everything rolling, the most dominant character is the one portrayed by Lee J. Cobb.  He is so unyielding and determined to stick with his beliefs that he takes the room over with it.  Despite the strength of this role, every character is important and plays a part.  Jack Klugman, a very quiet and somewhat timid man at first, becomes integral in the discussion of key evidence.  Ed Begley plays an extremely prejudiced man to the point where he alienates the others.  These are just a few, of course.  As they are all fantastic actors, I could go on forever.  But I will not.

                This is a great film.  I cannot wait until it is on TV again.  If I miss it I will be disappointed.  Or I could just put in the DVD.

Picture added 10/30/21.