12 Angry Men (DVD, 2001, Vintage Classics)

I watched this film for the first time, when it was shown at about 1 o'clock in the morning. I made an effort to see it as it is rated as one of the best movies ever made, however I must admit that I watched it with a sense of reluctance as I'm not a great one for old "classics". This film blew me away however; how ignorant can I be about old films? How many other pre-1960s gems are there out there that I haven't seen? What strikes me most about this film is how progressive it is for its day. Indeed the issues this film makes about American society of the 1950s, still ring true for western society today. This film concerns twelve jurors debating the sentence of an 18 year old Puerto Rican boy who on the face of it, has no real alibi. However one man, played brilliantly by Henry Fonda, is ill-at ease putting a young boy to death without even debating his case, much to the despair of the other jurors. What follows is a brilliant piece of film making, slowly revealing many of the juror's complex characters to the audience as they react to Fonda's concerns with their own mix of metal scars, prejudices and insecurities. What especially struck me about this film is how ordinary most of the characters are, none of the jurors are shown to be especially bad men, indeed most are portrayed as honest everyman type people. The use of ordinary characters is the films master-stroke because as one by one they begin to question their initial instincts, the flaws of society that have let this Puerto Rican boy down are presented to the audience. Tragically it appears that many of the issues that were beginning to be discussed in the 1950s have only got worse. For me there is one immortal comment in this film: one of the jurors, a man in his 50s says that the youths of today have no respect and have changed so much for the worse since his day. How ironic is it that some grumpy old men of today who may not even of have been born when this films was made, still say exactly the same thing? Finally a quick look at the cast shows that Fonda aside many of the cast were only moderately successful after this film. I think that's a shame as everyone of these actors is excellent and plays their part in making it one of the best films of all time. However within the cast there are a couple of treats; look out for Jack Klugman (Quincy) and John Fieldler who is the voice of many of Disney's characters such as Piglet. I urge you all, if you have not yet seen this film, please do so now.

Like some books are mandatory reading in high school or college. This video should be mandatory for youths and adults.

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I really like this movie, all the drama and the situations created I just feel at work, by the way in my company recommend us this title

This is a powerful story of the power of one person who can look beyond personal interests, ambitions, and biases to find the truth. It is caring enough to have others challenge every word you speak. A friend told me they were using this for a class in group dynamics and I can see it in that light but it is simply a well made film with a great story line and some outstanding acting.

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If you have never watched this movie, take a little bit of time and sit down for a fabulous flick. Henry Fonda is wonderful in this movie! The setting is the jury room with the 12 jurors deciding the fate of a young man accused of murder. When the vote goes around the first time only Fonda's character votes not guilty. This is a great movie and better than the re-make (although the re-make is a great movie too) Don't miss this classic!!

This story shows methods of peoples actions and personalities when disagreements occur. When watching the movie pay particular attention to all 12 persons actions and what makes them change their minds or not being persuaded. The movie was written well the weather outside the small room it was filmed in even the fan on the wall not working and then when it did work. Highly recommended!

The DVD was in perfect condition and arrived fast .

I bought it primarily because I needed it for the school paper that I wrote. It was also the cheapest among those that I looked into. It's like hitting two birds in one shot!

A black/white film, very dated, in many ways obvious, but still powerful. Henry Fonda plays the voice of reason in a jury whose other 11 members are ready to convict a Puerto Rican boy for murdering his father.

The characters are nameless caricatures - a banker, an accountant, a salesman, a watchmaker, an advertising executive, a blue-collar worker, a high-school football coach, etc - and Fonda appeals to reason in each jury member to establish that there was reasonable doubt. Racial prejudice, intellectual idleness, ego and arrogance are matched against calm logic, weighing of evidence, doubt as to witnesses' motives. The result is a crude but effective contrast between the philosophy of justice and the moral nature and weaknesses of those charged with the power of life and death.

All the action, apart from the opening and closing sequences, takes place in the jury room. This intensifies the nature of the choice to be made and of the personal conflicts that develop. It is this intensity that gives the film its psychological force. The story line is thin and some of the characters are only just credible. But the moral of the story is that anything COULD happen, and that is the scenario that the film makes real. An ambitious film with a strong cast, it is certainly worth watching as it makes each of us question the nature of our own perception, prejudices and logical processes that influence our opinions and judgements.