12 Angry Men
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| 12 Angry Men | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Sidney Lumet |
| Produced by | Henry Fonda Reginald Rose |
| Written by | Reginald Rose |
| Starring | Henry Fonda Lee J. Cobb E.G. Marshall |
| Music by | Kenyon Hopkins |
| Cinematography | Boris Kaufman |
| Editing by | Carl Lerner |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | 13 April 1957 (US) |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $340,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
12 Angry Men is a drama film produced in 1957 by director Sidney Lumet, which tells the story of twelve jurors bound by the acceptance of their civic duty and thrust together into a hot, humid room to deliberate the guilt or innocence of a boy accused of killing his father in a moment of rage. Initially, only one juror is not certain beyond a reasonable doubt that the young man is guilty, and must persuade his peers to evaluate the matter beyond their initial emotion-based judgments. With the exception of three minutes of screen time split between the beginning and the end and a short conversation in the adjoining washroom, the entire movie takes place in the jury room.
A study of contrasts in human character under the stress of grave responsibility, the movie's stars have been described as one of the finest ensembles of character actors ever assembled, and includes Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Ed Binns, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, George Voskovec, Robert Webber, and Joseph Sweeney (his last appearance in motion pictures). 12 Angry Men is highly regarded from both a critical and popular viewpoint; Roger Ebert lists it as one of his "Great Movies", and it has been consistently ranked in the top 15 of the Internet Movie Database Top 250 List.
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[edit] Plot summary
The story begins after closing arguments have been presented in a homicide case, as the judge is giving his instructions to the jury. As in any American criminal case, the twelve men must determine, unanimously, whether the accused is not guilty or guilty of the charge of murder. The jury is further instructed that a guilty verdict will be accompanied by a mandatory death sentence (something that could not happen in the current American legal system). These twelve then move to the jury room, where they begin to become acquainted with the personalities of their peers. Throughout their deliberation, not a single juror knows another by his name. In a preliminary vote they are startled to find that one juror has voted "not guilty." Many of the jurors are amazed and disturbed because Juror #8 (played by Fonda), the lone dissenter, does not see the "open and shut" nature of the case. Juror #8 maintains that he has a reasonable doubt, and it is morally wrong and illegal to condemn a man to death if any jury member has a reasonable doubt. As deliberation continues, Juror #9 (played by Joseph Sweeney) is impressed by Juror #8's conviction and agrees that the evidence should be thoroughly reviewed, and thus changes his vote to 'not guilty'.
The ensuing arguments and sifting of the evidence unveil the flaws of the prosecution's case, the questionable representation by the defendant's court-appointed attorney, and the true character of each of the jury members. Although it is only implied, it soon becomes apparent that the accused boy is a member of an ethnic minority (much is made of the fact that he comes from a poor neighbourhood), and that a measure of prejudice exists in the jury room. Gradually, Juror #8 and those jurors who become convinced by the soundness of his reasoning prove to every man on the jury that the defendant's guilt is not "beyond a reasonable doubt". There is a scene in which the uniqueness of the murder weapon, a switchblade, is argued as proof of the boy's guilt. In reply, Juror #8 produces an exact copy of the weapon and tells the jury that it is, in reality, a cheap and easily purchased knife that he found in a local store. Despite the stubborn insistence of the prejudiced Juror #10 (played by Ed Begley) and Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb), a father who allows his poor relationship with his son to influence his judgment, the eventual result is a vote of 12-0 in favor of acquittal, and the jurors leave the room to present their verdict to the court. What happens in the courtroom after that is left to the imagination of the viewers. In the final scene, as they are going down the courthouse steps toward the street, Juror #9 calls to Juror #8 and asks for his name. They introduce themselves to each other (Juror #9 is "McCardle", Juror #8 is "Davis"—the only 'named' jurors in the entire movie), say goodbye, and go their separate ways.
[edit] Behind the scenes
Directed by Sidney Lumet with a screenplay adapted by Reginald Rose from his 1954 teleplay, the filming of 12 Angry Men was completed after a short but rigorous rehearsal schedule in less than three weeks on a budget of about $350,000. The screenplay was initially produced for television, and was broadcast on the CBS program Studio One in 1954. A complete kinescope of that performance, which had been missing for years and feared lost, was finally discovered in 2003.
Lumet, whose prior directorial credits included dramas for television productions such as the Alcoa Hour and Studio One, was recruited by Fonda and Rose for the screen adaptation. 12 Angry Men was Lumet's first feature film, and for Fonda and Rose, who co-produced the film, it was their first and only roles as film producers. Fonda later stated that he would never again produce a film.
The film begins with the use of cameras positioned above eye level and mounted with wide-angle lenses to give the appearance of greater depth between subjects, and as the film progresses the focal length of the lenses is gradually increased. By the end of the film, nearly everyone is shown in closeup using telephoto lenses from a lower angle, which decreases or "shortens" depth of field. Lumet, who began his career as a director of photography, stated that his intention in using these techniques with cinematographer Boris Kaufman was to create a nearly palpable claustrophobia.
When it was released, A. H. Weiler reviewed the film for The New York Times. "It makes for taut, absorbing, and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury room setting". His observation of the twelve men was that "their dramas are powerful and provocative enough to keep a viewer spellbound." Although 12 Angry Men garnered critical acclaim and is viewed as a "classic" today, at the time of its release the advent of color and wide-screen productions contributed to its disappointing box office performance.
The film was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. In all of these categories, the film was eclipsed by The Bridge on the River Kwai, which won seven Academy Awards that year. At the Berlin International Film Festival, the film won the Golden Bear Award.
[edit] Remake and other adaptations
12 Angry Men was remade for television in 1997. Directed by William Friedkin, the remake starred George C. Scott, James Gandolfini, Tony Danza and Jack Lemmon. In this production the judge is a woman and four of the jurors are African American; in most other aspects the action and dialogue of the film is virtually identical to the original, with the exception of a few modernisations such as the prohibition of smoking in the room.
The film's premise has been utilized (dramatically and comically) in several TV shows, inuding:
- The Odd Couple (TV series), ABC, "The Jury Story", 1970
- 7th Heaven, The WB, "Twelve Angry People", 2000 (the jury foreman, Reverend Eric Camden, argues for an acquittal)
- Cupid, ABC, "Hung Jury", 1998
- The Dead Zone, USA Network, "Unreasonable Doubt", 2002
- Doogie Howser, M.D., ABC, "Eleven Angry People...and Vinnie", 1993
- Hancock's Half Hour, BBC, "Twelve Angry Men", 1959
- King of the Hill, Fox, "Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men", 1998
- Monk, USA Network, "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty", 2006
- Robot Chicken, Cartoon Network, "Midnight Snack", 2005
- Veronica Mars, UPN, "One Angry Veronica", 2005
- Doordarshan, India, "Ek Ruka Hua Faislaa", 1986, Directed by Basu Chatterjee
12 Angry Men is sometimes studied in educational settings as literature. The screenplay has been published, and Rose wrote several stage adaptations of the story. In 1964 Leo Genn appeared in the play on the London stage. In other theatrical adaptations in which female actors are cast the play is retitled 12 Angry Jurors or 12 Angry Women.
12 Angry Men is currently on a national theater tour with Richard Thomas and George Wendt starring as Jurors No. 8 and No. 1 respectively.
The movie has been used in management seminars as a case study in team building and leadership. The resolution-of-conflict techniques presented in 12 Angry Men have been analyzed and applied to employee efforts to collaborate among themselves to handle issues. The goal is to minimize or eliminate the inefficient micromanagement by company executives in areas in which they are unskilled and/or unknowledgable. This use is most widely seen in the Total Quality Management system used by the U.S. government as well as numerous private sector corporations.
[edit] Characters
| Juror # | Character | 1954 actor | 1957 actor | 1997 actor | Order that juror votes 'not guilty' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jury foreman, somewhat pre-occupied with his duties | Norman Fell | Martin Balsam | Courtney B. Vance | 9 |
| 2 | Mild and unpretentious bank clerk | John Beal | John Fiedler | Ossie Davis | 5 |
| 3 | Businessman and an emotionally distraught father | Franchot Tone | Lee J. Cobb | George C. Scott | 12 |
| 4 | Rational stockbroker, imperturbable and self-assured | Walter Abel | E.G. Marshall | Armin Mueller-Stahl | Joint 10 |
| 5 | Young man from violent slum, a Baltimore Orioles fan | Lee Phillips | Jack Klugman | Dorian Harewood | 3 |
| 6 | Painter, tough but principled and respectful | Bart Burns | Ed Binns | James Gandolfini | 6 |
| 7 | Salesman, sports fan, superficial and indifferent | Paul Hartman | Jack Warden | Tony Danza | 7 |
| 8 | Architect named Davis, the lone dissenter | Robert Cummings | Henry Fonda | Jack Lemmon | 1 |
| 9 | Wise and observant elderly man named McCardle | Joseph Sweeney | Joseph Sweeney | Hume Cronyn | 2 |
| 10 | Garage owner, a loudmouth racist | Edward Arnold | Ed Begley | Mykelti Williamson | Joint 10 |
| 11 | Immigrant watchmaker, proud to be an American citizen | George Voskovec | George Voskovec | Edward James Olmos | 4 |
| 12 | An indecisive advertising executive | William West | Robert Webber | William L. Petersen | 8 |
[edit] Trivia
- Jack Warden, best known as Juror #7, passed away on July 19, 2006 at the age of 85 leaving Jack Klugman (Juror #5) as the only one of the twelve main stars of the film who is still alive.
- The American Film Institute named Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda, the 28th greatest movie hero of the 20th century.
- The American Film Institute named 12 Angry Men the 42nd in 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Making Movies, by Sidney Lumet. (c) 1995, ISBN 0-679-75660-4
- Phoebe C. Ellsworth. "Twelve Angry Men," Michigan Law Review, May 2003 v101 i6 p1387(21) (online at Infotrac), in depth analysis compared with research on actual jury behavior.
- The New York Times, April 15, 1957, "12 Angry Men", review by A. H. Weiler
- Readings on Twelve Angry Men, by Russ Munyan, Greenhaven Press, 2000, ISBN 0-7377-0313-X
