Movie Mondays - A Dozen Cranky Guys

I only watched one movie this weekend, 12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet's 1957 directorial debut. Now, I am not a historical movie buff. I love films, but the majority of things I watch were made no later than 1980. I do, on occasion try to watch the occasional older film just to feel wise and snooty. You know, so I can be better than those who don't watch classic movies. But, if I ever meet anyone who truly does know anything about historic movies, I'm screwed, because I know nothing.

Anyway, I think the first time I saw 12 Angry Men was back in high school as part of a school project. I always used to despise black and white movies, not because of the lack of color, but because I always thought of them as slow. I remember that I had low hopes for this movie when I first saw it. I mean, come on, 90 minutes of twelve guys sitting in a room yelling at each other, how good could it be? Well, I was shocked when I first saw the film. It has been almost 10 years since I have seen it, so it was about time to watch it again.

For those who have never heard of this movie, essentially it is about a jury in deliberation over a murder case, where the defendant's life is at stake. When they first get into the deliberation room, 11 out of the 12 men vote guilty and one man, Juror #8, Henry Fonda, stands alone with a not guilty vote. The remainder of the movie is devoted to Fonda convincing the rest of the jury to change their vote.

I loved how Juror #8 used a moral basis to continue the discussion. Early on, he never claimed the defendant was guilty, only that he thought they owed him a discussion because his life was at stake.

I loved how the mood changed throughout the film and how the weather (ie the heat and the rain) mirrored the feelings in the room.

I loved the actors. Lee J Cobb, Jack Klugman, Henry Fonda, Jack Warden, and John Fielder (Piglet! Seriously, any guy with a voice like that is awesome!). I have to check out some other things these guys have done!

Here's the great trailer. Enjoy:



"The smell of violent death in their nostrils." Awesome!