12 Angry Men

I had never seen this film before.

I ended up with this DVD due to a friend.  We were browsing a secondhand DVD/music store and I think I picked up 12 Angry Men and commented that I hadn't seen it but had heard that the play was amazing.  She insisted that it was brilliant and demanded that I purchase it.  I protested that I don't generally buy films that I haven't seen, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.  Being that the DVD was only $5, I figured "Why not?"

Thanks, friend.
It's a beautiful and classy film.
There's something different about actors pre-1960.  There's a particular accent and melody to the voice, a certain deliberate-ness to the acting that manages to not seem overdone (when done well) and a sense that these films were made because someone was trying to create a work of art.  Of course, there are those in the modern day film industry who are still trying to make works of art, but they are all too often drowned out by those who seem to think that movies are disposable and you just keep making them at random until you get lucky.
It sounds a bit snobbish, I know, and "they don't make 'em like they used to" and all that...  But to a degree it's true.  When you watch older movies, you can tell that things were done with care, at least in the ones I've ever been exposed to.

How likely is it that you would see a film like this now?  Ninety-five percent of it consists of twelve men in a room, talking.  What studio would take a gamble on that being successful?  How would they believe that could hold an audience's attention?  Craig Monahan did something similar with his The Interview, which itself is a very gripping piece of cinema that I highly recommend but unfortunately don't own.

For me, the joy of this film is watching things play out.  Seeing the characters argue and use logic.  Even the moments where a conclusion dawns on you just before it comes to the characters are wonderful.  You know that the writer intended to give that lightbulb moment to the audience first, allowing us to realise "Of course!" and then watch hungrily for the characters to catch on.

Since I bought this film, I've had a number of people assure me that it's great.  It's taken me three years to get around to watching it, but I have now and I agree.

Final Thought:  I really enjoyed the revelation of why the final juror held out for so long, and love even more that it didn't occur to me earlier.

Up Next:  17 Again