
A Film Classic, In Every Sense.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
This has got to be the best ever use of film to portray drama, and a remarkable study in fine acting and script. The film is shot pretty much all in one room, with just a few brief scenes in the adjacent bathroom, and on the steps of the courtroom afterwards. In this one room sit twelve men, a jury, their task to decide the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. You do not see the trial, or any flashbacks to what has happened previously to them entering the room, however from the opening you are quickly convinced by the jury that it is an open and shut case, the jury that is with one exception.
Henry Fonda gives possibly his finest performance as the lone man, not entirely convinced by the evidence. You can almost feel the heat and smell the sweat as over the course of what follows, as one by one others reconsider what they have been told, and the prejudices they find they have bought with them.
There is no down side to this film, in every sense it takes you on a journey without actually going anywhere. No big special effects, but a masterclass in acting and script, and a must for any film collection.
Review ID: 10000000003642591

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