12 Angry Men

Juror 8 > Juror 4 > Juror 5 > Juror 9 > Juror 11 > Juror 1 > Juror 6 > Juror 2 > Juror 3 > Juror 12 > Juror 10 > Juror 7. Fuck Juror 7. Anyway, this is certainly one of those films that’s quality will never drop in my eyes. The argument that 12 Angry Men has the greatest screenplay in the history of cinema is not a weak one. The way the film develops and unravels itself is narrative mastery seldom reached in any art form. Each of the twelve characters reach their full narrative potential, and the subtleties in the dialogue, whether it be through inconsistencies, allusions to previous lines or through other likewise techniques, conveys a great deal more about characters’ motives, fears and prejudices than might initially be apparent. The way the film is structured is incredible as well, fully lending itself to the ever-changing atmosphere created and being consistently proficient, building to these minor, powerful epochs, which eventually builds to a fervent and intensely moving explosion of tension. Visually, 12 Angry Men is spectacular as well. The spontaneity with which the camera moves captures the nature and thoughts of each character it falls on perfectly, with the intensifying in lighting, angles and tightness of the shots as the film progresses being almost unbearable. The editing is also up there for the best in cinema history, with the pacing of the cutting in particular being perhaps the main reason this film feels so intense, at first letting the camera breathe and being generally slow, and eventually becoming erratic. Of course if there is one thing to commend above all it’s the acting. There is not a performance here which isn’t perfect, and J. Lee Cobb’s performance in particular is simply godly. Overall, on a stylistic level, it is quite evident that this was the debut effort of Lumet, because it isn’t corrupted by convention. The techniques applied are original and intelligent - not superfluous by any means - but there is an evident freedom with which this film is made. There is little to say about this film that hasn’t already been said, and I am more or less repeating the same praises said many times over before, so I’ll leave it here. Absolutely magnificent picture; pure perfection.