I came across this title when I was looking for some of the better courtroom dramas that have been filmed, long weekend and all. Turns out that the American Film Institute has a list of 'America's 10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres'.
So What's It About
Directed by Sidney Lumet, starring 12 actors whom I have never heard of before this film, and still can't remember after this film, '12 Angry Men (1957)' is a film about the deliberation process by 12 jurors in a murder case. The jury is isolated and confined to a single room, where they are to remain until they can decide on a unanimous verdict.
This film stands out from other courtroom dramas in that it is filmed almost entirely in a single room. Throw in sweltering heat, broken air-conditioning, and 12 men in formal attire who inevitably impose on others their morals and values as they get involved in the case, and you have a constant flow of dialogue and heated exchange.
How Bad Can It Be?
It isn't, really. Other than the fact that the film is in black-and-white, which is somewhat of a turn-off in this day and age, this is probably the most riveting courtroom drama I've seen in a while.
In fact, as far as courtroom dramas go, I prefer this to 'To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)', which is the Top Dog on AFI's list.
The case in the film involves murder; there is no convoluted plot to throw the audience off-track, meaning fewer loopholes for the audience to nit-pick.
There is very little legal jargon to sieve through. Since the entire film revolves around the conversations between the jurors, so there is less of a barrier between the audience and the characters.
There are no lawyers in the film, and no grandstanding a la Alan Shore, so the audience is less likely to be disappointed if the actors' performance is anything short of James Spader.
What I'd Rather Be Doing...
In the absence of Boston Legal, this is a pretty good fix.
Actually, if Boston Legal was still being aired, that might be my fix for not watching this film...
No comments:
Post a Comment