12 Angry Men (1957)


Courtroom drama directed by Sidney Lumet. This is a slow-burner set in one (sweaty) room. It’s all about the dialogue. One man in a jury of 12 attempts to challenge a guilty verdict and makes his colleagues begin to question what they believe they know and the prejudices informing the ways they think. It should be a set text for all students of law or psychology, studying as it does the way people behave in groups and how we are all swayed by one another and the power of the mob.

Henry Fonda is excellent as the voice of reason who gently but persuasively begins to make a difference in a group of people ready to send a young man to his death. In an era when democracy and freedom is under threat, it’s more relevant than ever.

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