12 Angry Men Critique

12 Angry Men Critique

12 Angry Men Critique

12 Angry Men tells the story of a jury trying to come to a verdict that will determine the fate of a young Latino boy. The case appears to be open and shut but yet one juror (Henry Fonda) votes not guilty due to the fact that the jury must believe without reasonable doubt that the boy is guilty.   The jurors go over all the facts multiple times but yet still cannot reach a unanimous decision.   As the facts are presented votes are changed as the boys life hangs in the balance.
Lee J. Cobb is determined that the boy is guilty just because of his his own prejudice of teenagers. However Henry Fonda does a great job of raising doubt using the question “Isn't it possible?”   The character development is tremendous as the jurors priorities are feelings are presented. The movie is full of suspense and the fact that it's in black and white adds to it even more. The camera angles and lack of music create a more realistic atmosphere making it seem as if you're in the room with them. The dialogue is extremely well done up until the very end.
Although this movie is very simplistic in the fact that it takes place solely in one room the atmosphere is tremendous and does a great job to keep watching. These 96 minutes will grab your attention and keep it through out the movie. For a movie over 50 years old I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in movies. All in all I would give this movie two thumbs up.