No. 26 - 12 Angry Men (1957)

LIFE IS IN THEIR HANDS - DEATH IS ON THEIR MINDS!

Rated: Not Rated (Dad's best guess G)

Director: Sidney Lumet; Screenplay: Reginald Rose; based on the novel by Reginald Rose

Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, Jack Klugman, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E. G. Marshall, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskevec, Robert Webber

Movie Introduction: Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning a death sentence for the accused, an inner-city teen boy. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a closed room, eleven vote guilty, however one juror #8 (Fonda) casts a not guilty vote. He still has doubts on the facts presented in the case. Outside distractions, personal issues, even bigotry, soon rise to the surface, and these conflicts threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide the boy's fate. 

Defining Moment: the bigot - juror #10

If you have a pulse at all, you realize that bigots are among us. They are on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok. They are at work, in stores, on the news. Some are quite. Most are vocal.  They're all looking for an audience. In this film, when the bigot is exposed, he becomes a beaten work completely without any power or influence.   

Something subtle you might have missed:  it's going to be alright

At the end of the film, as the jurors are exiting the room to return to their lives. Only jurors #3 (Fonda) and #8 (Cobb) remain. These two have gone at each other all day. Juror #3, who let his suppressed anger at his unappreciative son affect his arguments, sits with this head down, a man ashamed. Juror #8, who was the jury's voice of reason, walks over to the coat rack and takes down a coat. He walks over and drapes it on Juror #3's shoulders with a gentle pat. This simple, kind gesture melts my heart every time. A small, but meaningful olive branch. There's a small pleasant exchange and the two jurors leave, returning back to the world.  

Memorable Quotes:

"What's the matter with you guys? You all know he's guilty! He's got to burn! You're letting him slip through our fingers!" - Juror #3

"You don’t really mean that you would kill me, do you?" Juror #8

Dad's Review:

The medium of film never ceases to amaze me. This film takes place almost exclusively in one room. How could that possibly be interesting or even captivating?  Yet, it is.

We learn about the jury process - a chance to witness exactly how a great stalwart of America’s justice system, the jury, works. America’s judicial process really is unique. Twelve people must hear all the data related to a case: the details, the plaintiff, the accused, the attorneys, the witnesses, the judge, the facts, the truth, the lies…and eventually, each juror must cast a vote for either innocent or guilty.

The jurors in this picture feature various types of people, in this case all men. We are presented with:

Juror #1 – Assistant football coach - Willing to assume the leadership role, but not actually a capable leader.

Juror #2 – Bank worker - Meek and used to being talked over, always acquiescing and overlooked.

Juror #3 – Courier business owner - Hot tempered, type-A personality, having issues with his own son, whose attitudes resemble the accused.

Juror #4 – Stock broker - Analytical, confident, rational and calm.

Juror #5 – Regular guy with simple aspirations who grew up in a tough neighborhood and loves the Baltimore Orioles

Juror #6 – House painter - Tough, but principled.

Juror #7 – Salesman - Indifferent, wise-cracking, could care less about being there, hates "missing the game".

Juror #8 – Architect - Thoughtful, takes this duty seriously and honestly wants to reach a fair verdict.

Juror #9 – Retired senior citizen - Wise, intelligent and observant, but often disregarded because of his age.

Juror #10 – Garage owner- Pushy, loud, not a good listener; he talks at people, not to them.

Juror #11 – European watchmaker - Polite, naturalized citizen who feels a sense of patriotism and appreciates the American legal system.

Juror #12 – Ad executive - Indecisive, easily swayed and doesn’t want to offend anyone.

When you see this film, you might ask yourself, "Which juror am I?" You might see a part of yourself in one person, or perhaps in several.

I love films that make you think.

When the jurors cast the first vote, it is eleven to one for guilty. One man stands alone - Juror #8. Standing alone used to be a quintessential American trait - courage is to stand for what is right, no matter what. Society depends on it. However, there can be no reasonable doubt" in a murder case - the votes must be unanimous.

Juror #8 initially asserts that he is just sure. He just feels that it's important enough to discuss the case’s facts further. A boy's life is at stake, so they should get it right. Some jurors find this delay annoying because they have places to be.

After some discussion, another vote is taken. Now, there are two votes for not guilty. This causes the discussions to get more and more heated. Emotions erupt. People are forced to back the reasons for their votes. It is incredible to watch. 

Henry Fonda, as the conscientious, calm Juror #8, gives one of his best performances. By this point in his career he was a seasoned veteran, able to give his role the necessary nuances. It would have been so easy to try and be the heroic man who takes over and leads, but his performance is extremely restrained and methodical.

Juror #8 is not there to prove he’s right, yet that is the end result. He uses simple logic and pointed questions to prove "reasonable doubt" to sway the indecisive jurors. This also exposes character flaws in some of the others. He delivers this performance as the simple "every man": mild, intelligent, strong, driven by convictions. This was Henry Fonda's super-power as an actor. 

Lee J. Cobb also delivers a gut-wrenching performance as Juror #3, the angry, emotionally wounded man who is convinced the boy committed the murder. You can just feel the rage within him. He is not accustomed to being challenged, and he is infuriated that someone has the nerve to stand up to his bullying tactics.  He does not like being opposed and he makes it personal. Maybe he is just this way normally. Maybe he is just having a bad day. Regardless, Cobb's performance is unforgettable.

The rest of the cast are an all-star list of great Hollywood character actors. We've seen their faces in numerous TV shows and films: Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Robert Webber. This film is their time to shine, too, and they do.

 Onto No. 27... City of Brotherly Love and Cheesesteaks