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Henry Fonda, Lee J Cobb, Ed Begley Sr., E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman ... see more see more... , Jack Warden , Martin Balsam , Edward Binns , Joseph Sweeney , George Voskovec , Robert Webber , Rudy Bond , James A. Kelly , Bill Nelson , John Savoca , John Fiedler

A Puerto Rican youth is on trial for murder, accused of knifing his father to death. The twelve jurors retire to the jury room, having been admonished that the defendant is innocent until proven guilt... read more read more...y beyond a reasonable doubt. Eleven of the jurors vote for conviction, each for reasons of his own. The sole holdout is Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda. As Fonda persuades the weary jurors to re-examine the evidence, we learn the backstory of each man. Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb), a bullying self-made man, has estranged himself from his own son. Juror #7 (Jack Warden) has an ingrained mistrust of foreigners; so, to a lesser extent, does Juror #6 (Edward Binns). Jurors #10 (Ed Begley) and #11 (George Voskovec), so certain of the infallibility of the Law, assume that if the boy was arrested, he must be guilty. Juror #4 (E.G. Marshall) is an advocate of dispassionate deductive reasoning. Juror #5 (Jack Klugman), like the defendant a product of "the streets," hopes that his guilty vote will distance himself from his past. Juror #12 (Robert Webber), an advertising man, doesn't understand anything that he can't package and market. And Jurors #1 (Martin Balsam), #2 (John Fiedler) and #9 (Joseph Sweeney), anxious not to make waves, "go with the flow." The excruciatingly hot day drags into an even hotter night; still, Fonda chips away at the guilty verdict, insisting that his fellow jurors bear in mind those words "reasonable doubt." A pet project of Henry Fonda's, Twelve Angry Men was his only foray into film production; the actor's partner in this venture was Reginald Rose, who wrote the 1954 television play on which the film was based. Carried over from the TV version was director Sidney Lumet, here making his feature-film debut. A flop when it first came out (surprisingly, since it cost almost nothing to make), Twelve Angry Men holds up beautifully when seen today. It was remade for television in 1997 by director William Friedkin with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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89,596 ratings

Critics

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41 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Sidney Lumet

Release Date: April 13, 1957

Keywords: white, compelling, 1957, simple, law

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DVD Release Date: March 6, 2001

Stats: 6,727 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,727)

  • garyX
    May 3, 2012
    garyX
    Sidney Lumet's classic courtroom drama is based upon a very simple premise; a jury is sent to deliberate on a capital murder case and one lone juror stands alone against the other eleven arguing that there is reasonable doubt. Virtually the entire film takes place in the same roo... read morem and the characters are a deliberate cross section of different personalities from all walks of life. They even remain unnamed for the length of the film. It's basically a tribute to the American justice system and democracy in general; imagine a more high brow version of Frank Capra without the sentimentality. Slightly reminiscent of Rashomon, it exposes the preconceptions and prejudices behind the attitudes of some of the jurors and their refusal to accept the possibility of a juvenile delinquent's innocence and is fascinatingly told as a kind of detective story in reverse, Fonda gradually dismantling the prosecution's case piece by piece. The character's are all really well written, the dialogue taut and the director's skill is consummate as he creates tension and drama without ever leaving the jury room. It's very stagey and occasionally reminded me of a game of musical chairs for that reason and it may be a little subdued for younger tastes used to fast cuts and gratuitous action, but for me this is still the best courtroom drama ever made.
  • fb1664868775
    March 22, 2012
    fb1664868775
    12 Men, one room, maybe the most exciting and powerful hour and a half of film I've ever seen.
  • imrealgod
    January 24, 2012
    imrealgod
    Not to deny that it's a remarkable classic and I enjoyed it reasonably despite having watched its remake quite a while ago, but I'd have to admit that it's a downhill trip for the last half hour. Nevertheless, highly recommended by all means.
  • pier007
    November 16, 2011
    pier007
    A lesson in cinema and justice.
  • spielberg00
    October 26, 2011
    spielberg00
    Courtroom drama puts a dozen infuriated men in a room together, allows them to factually (and, sometimes, not so factually) bicker about whether or not an eighteen-year-old by is guilty for stabbing his father to death. The film starts off with eleven voting guilty and one votin... read moreg not guilty (all jurors names are avoided), while the rest of the film entails the singled-out juror encouraging the other eleven to see the facts beyond the simple, "It was a murder, the kid is guilty."

    I'm no film-noir fanatic, so you can look at this review as either less predictable or more critical than it should be. The first thirty minutes or so of 12 ANGRY MEN were boring, but if a viewer skipped them, then he or she would not understand one bit of the rest. The last ten to twenty minutes are the best, but then again, if one were to go right to that scene on YouTube, per se, he or she would not understand the brilliance I am referring to. You see, you have to watch ALL of this film to comprehend the marvelousness of it. It's not like there's one big landmark scene that you can watch and love; nothing like the final dance from DIRTY DANCING, or the axe-wielding scene from THE SHINING, for instance.

    If there's one film that makes me want to watch more Henry Fonda films, it's 12 ANGRY MEN. His (mostly) unnamed role is superior, and it stands out above all the other characters, especially that silly old guy who reminds us now of Alan Arkin's character LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, always going off on tangents (on a murder case!?) and making jokes. (Eventually, though, he turns what seems like a bizarre tangent into something creates a unanimous vote, making him a significant character, thank goodness.) Oh, look, that was a tangent itself! Heh. Great film, anyway.
  • fb733768972
    September 10, 2011
    fb733768972
    12 Angry Men is a film with a basic idea that turns into a complex, dialogue-ridden feature film that will have you on the edge of your seat for the full 90 minutes that this brilliant classic surely embraces. Henry Fonda leads a debate with a 12 manned jury on the case of whethe... read morer or not an 18 year-old boy is guilty of murdering his father. Taking place after a courtroom session, these men "angrily" reflect on the statements made by the accused and the defendants as they fight until the bitter end when all the possible facts are on the table. I was pulled into this amazing film and I felt what every man had to say as they made critical points that will make you go back and forth, never truly knowing which side to take, even though you may have a good idea! This classic is one of the smartest written films I have ever seen! 12 Angry Men is magnificent!
  • fb100001050230219
    June 18, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    Incredibly engaging drama with stunning performances all round. A great achievement in filmmaking from the late Sidney Lumet.
  • TomBowler
    May 11, 2011
    TomBowler
    Breathtaking filmmaking. Full review later.
  • jamers2011
    April 23, 2011
    jamers2011
    Stunning film! The fact that this film takes place entirely in a jury room but still delivers, is incredible. Sidney Lumet brilliantly directed this masterpiece; I doubt that any director could replicate the greatness in this film, today.
  • fernandorafael
    March 20, 2011
    fernandorafael
    Even though it's slightly dated and starts to feel just a tad contrived towards the end, 12 Angry Men is nevertheless riveting and, most importantly, smart. The fantastic script by Reginald Rose is matched in its intensity by a remarkable cast, where Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jac... read morek Warden and Ed Begley stand out.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
June 30, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

The film leaves a tremendous impact. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
June 26, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Mechanically written, but within its own middlebrow limitations, it delivers the goods. Full Review

A.H. Weiler
May 20, 2003
A.H. Weiler, New York Times

Although it may sound ungallant, these 12 Angry Men, are all right without distaff glamour. Their dramas are powerful and provocative enough to keep a viewer spellbound. Full Review

Roger Ebert
November 19, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is a film where tension comes from personality conflict, dialogue and body language, not action. Full Review

Eric Melin
December 9, 2011
Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com

This was Sidney Lumet's first movie and it's as riveting as it was back in the late 50s, when everything was changing. Full Review

James Kendrick
December 2, 2011
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

an incisive and gripping film Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 12, 2011
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Lumet keeps things tense, sweaty, suspenseful and entertaining despite the contrived story line. Full Review

M. Faust
January 2, 2011
M. Faust, Common Sense Media

Outstanding Henry Fonda jury classic. Full Review

Matthew Pejkovic
July 6, 2010
Matthew Pejkovic, Matt's Movie Reviews

A brilliant courtroom drama whose strength lies within the power of Rose's words and Sidney Lumet's great direction (his debut). Full Review

Nick Davis
December 28, 2009
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

12 Angry Men has some shrewd observations to sell about argumentation and group behavior, but they're not the ones of which the film seems most proud. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Juror #10: Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.
    • Juror #11: Doesn't even speak good English.
    • Juror #8: Prejudice always obscures the truth.
    • Juror #3: What's the matter matter with you?
    • Juror #4: I have a reasonable doubt.
    • Juror #8: Ever since you walked into this room, you've been acting like a self-appointed public avenger! You want to see this boy die because you personally want it, not because of the facts! You're a sadist! [Three lunges wildly at Eight, who holds his ground. Several jurors hold Three back]
    • Juror #3: I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM!
    • Juror #8: You don't *really* mean you'll kill me, do you?
    • Juror #2: It's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go'. Nobody proved otherwise.
    • Juror #8: Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn't even have to open his mouth. That's in the Constitution.
    • Juror #8: It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's SURE. We nine can't understand how you three are still so sure. Maybe you can tell us.
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12 Angry Men (Twelve Angry Men) Trivia

  • A courtroom drama about a man who stands alone in his belief of the innocence of a boy accused of the murder of his father. In order to save the boy he must convince the other jurors to change their hasty decision. (Original)  Answer »
  • Name that Tagline Life is in their hands - Death is on their minds!  Answer »
  • What Movie is this Tagline from? "...it explodes like twelve sticks of dynamite!"   Answer »
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