No wonder why this film was picked by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation.
1. It is one of 'The Classics'. It is a film that many people talk about, write about and recommend. Even if you don't like old, black-and-white films, this one should be watched by everyone.
2. It has a significant, well written script. The main mediators for the meaning are words and you need to carefully follow what is going on. It is a trial film, where we observe jury and their deciding about a boy who was accused of a murder of his father. Not so visually refined, the words are important. Dialogue and body language are vivid and most important.
3. Also the character study is one of the greatest and the most detailed. All 12 men from the title are portrayed the best possible way. Actors so in sync with their work that you completely forget you are watching a film and not a live version of a jury. You get lost in the emotions, excitement and quarreling. Each man's personalities are portrayed incredible and their range of personalities adds up to the conflict they have.
4. Main theme is as the title says it all. It is about 12 angry men and how a person is biased by their own emotions and prejudices when he is required to be the most rational, objective and following the facts. As it is important for the juridical system that every detail, every fact must be took into the account before you convict someone, since it is a possibility you could send an innocent person to jail (or even to death). A matter of ethics!
5. Cinematography: sequence shot of the main one-set (jury room), minimalistic Mise-en-scene, because we need to focus on acting and words. Nimble camera movements, key and soft light, close-ups at dramatic shifts, camera moves from above-the-eye to low-angle position and at the end the ceiling is visible and it seems that it is closing the set also as the men are more and more pressured. - Stylised realism.
1. It is one of 'The Classics'. It is a film that many people talk about, write about and recommend. Even if you don't like old, black-and-white films, this one should be watched by everyone.
2. It has a significant, well written script. The main mediators for the meaning are words and you need to carefully follow what is going on. It is a trial film, where we observe jury and their deciding about a boy who was accused of a murder of his father. Not so visually refined, the words are important. Dialogue and body language are vivid and most important.
3. Also the character study is one of the greatest and the most detailed. All 12 men from the title are portrayed the best possible way. Actors so in sync with their work that you completely forget you are watching a film and not a live version of a jury. You get lost in the emotions, excitement and quarreling. Each man's personalities are portrayed incredible and their range of personalities adds up to the conflict they have.
4. Main theme is as the title says it all. It is about 12 angry men and how a person is biased by their own emotions and prejudices when he is required to be the most rational, objective and following the facts. As it is important for the juridical system that every detail, every fact must be took into the account before you convict someone, since it is a possibility you could send an innocent person to jail (or even to death). A matter of ethics!
5. Cinematography: sequence shot of the main one-set (jury room), minimalistic Mise-en-scene, because we need to focus on acting and words. Nimble camera movements, key and soft light, close-ups at dramatic shifts, camera moves from above-the-eye to low-angle position and at the end the ceiling is visible and it seems that it is closing the set also as the men are more and more pressured. - Stylised realism.
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