12 Angry Men (1957) - 10 stars out of 10

12 Angry Men (1957) - 10 stars out of 10
800th Review

Gutsy, dynamic acting pays off in this movie that can't rely on special effects or elaborate sets.  "12 Angry Men" affords Lee J. Cobb the opportunity to deliver one of the most unforgettable performances in movie history!  The characters in this movie don't even have names (Juror #3, Juror #8), and yet you will empathize with each juror, even without knowing his background.  Even more, you will see these characters develop without divulging person details about their lives; instead, their reactions to the debate reveal who they are until you can predict how they will act in response to each line of dialogue.  An incredible story unfolds through the raw emotion contained in every second of this film.  With actors like the compassionate Henry Fonda, the baseball-loving Jack Warden, the bigot Ed Begley, the Piglet John Fiedler, the wisdom-filled Joseph Sweeney, and the other 7 incredible actors, tensions are high.  The entire story eventually revolves around Cobb whose temper and frustration lead to some of the most powerful monologues in all of film.  Everything is enhanced by the genius directing of Sidney Lumet, as the camera angles progressively move from above the actors to eye level to beneath the actors, creating a claustrophobic sense that the room is shrinking.  The truly amazing thing is that this story only has 12 characters and the entire thing takes place in one room, yet the cinematography and tracking shots help to sustain a driving intensity from start to finish.  "12 Angry Men" is a clinic on great acting and, although it did not win any Oscars or enjoy much success in its time, this is one of the five greatest movies of all time.