12 Angry Men (1957) has rightly been regarded, by critics, fans and moviemakers alike, as one of the greatest films ever made. The plot is a simple one; a single member of a jury labours to convince the other eleven of the possibility of the innocence of a boy accused of murdering his father. This simple but powerful tale 
explores the nature of crimes of passion, of truth and of modern justice systems, the reliability of memory and the victory of rationality over prejudice. While it was originally written in 1954 in the form of a teleplay, adapted for the stage in ’56 and realized on film a second time in 1997, it is in the 1957 movie, however, that this powerful and brilliant story is most definitively told. It’s clear that director Sidney Lummet’s low-budget origins in TV prepared him well to create the stripped down, minimalist feeling characteristic of the film, all of which (with the exception of two very brief scenes) takes place in the same small room. Despite this lack of variation, the picture remains compelling and engaging; with its plot unfolding in a sensationally gripping way.
The screenplay is superbly written; the dialogue is emotive without being corny, sharp without being gimmicky and rarely does it come off as dated. The writing is noticeably lean; (perhaps with the exception of one brief conversation) not a single line of dialogue is superfluous or merely decorative, it all serves to gives more dimension to the movie’s plot and characters. And what fantastic characters!
Although their names (bar two) are never given, each character is as engaging and distinctive as the last, each bringing their own quirk, prejudice or insight to the proceedings and this powerful characterisation is practically established within each of their first few lines. These characters are brought to life through the superbly convincing acting of a predominantly little-known cast. Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West), leads the film as the rational and compassionate architect that labours to convince his fellow jurors, brilliantly playing, once again, the role of the plain-speaking idealist. The film was also directed with great skill and taste; the full weight of the seriousness of the situation is slowly illustrated, tension is steadily built through the movie and sporadically pierced by the explosively dramatic moments that punctuate it.
Brilliantly written, directed and acted, this classic film is truly a treat and one that you have to see!