2.2 ~ #1

"12 Angry Men "(1957)

From Netflix: "A guilty verdict means death -- but the jury's not about to let that spoil their day. Twelve men must decide the fate of an 18-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his father. Only one (Henry Fonda) wants to take the time to coolly deliberate the case. Sidney Lumet (Network) made his directorial debut in this fiery drama that illuminates all the petty impediments on the path to justice."



I actually saw this movie in high school English, so anywhere from 6-10 years ago, I'm not sure what year I saw it...I thought it was a great movie then, though it couldn't have left much of an impression considering I had forgetten I'd seen it till I popped in the DVD and saw the opening scene.

It's in black and white, which I love, though I have very little experience with films this old. Movies back in the day were so much more dramatic, and I think much better acted, considering that because the effects and flash were lacking, a movie could only be carried by great acting. People don't appreciate good acting anymore...

It's incredible how jaded people can be that because they're so wrapped up in their own situations, they don't realize that throughout the movie, they are talking about a person's life, how something as BIG as whether a person lives or dies is in their hands, and based on their prejudgments, they are willing to let a person die without a second thought. The message of this film rings just as true now as it did in the fifties...people need to stop and think before they make decisions...just because something seems easy or simple doesn't mean it is. Choices require thought, especially considering that whether you realize it or not, your choices affect everyone around you.

It's not just about choices, either. Every day people hear about celebrities, friends, people in general...and based on a few things we pick up about them, we imagine an entire persona on people that we may not know very well, if at all. People we have never even met, we imagine we know better than we know ourselves based on a few tokens of information. And what is human nature to do when we think we know someone? We judge them. We can't help it, our ancestors did it for survival. "There's that guy again. I see him everyday and he hasn't attacked me yet. He must be ok." Nowadays, we can't help it anymore than they did, we even (and especially) do it to people that mean us no harm. How often to we read gossip rags or watch E! news and take something a celebrity has done or said personally? We've all done it...but why? We don't know these people, we don't know why they do or don't do the things they do or don't...but that doesn't stop us from judging them. Maybe the most important message of this film is that we should GENUINELY try to live and let live, make an effort to not stake entire ideas of people on an activity or photo or whathaveyou. Focus on yourself and don't run around thinking you have any right to form ideas about people you don't really know.

In short, great film. Really makes you think. Made me think, anyway. If you're the type that must have loud noises and explosions to keep entertained, this isn't for you. But if you're down for a great story, try this one on for size.