Synopsis

Sidney Lumet's directorial debut is a tense, atmospheric courtroom thriller, in which the viewer never sees a trial. As with his later corruption commentaries such as Serpico or Q & A, Lumet focuses on the lonely one-man battles of a protagonist whose ethics alienate him from the rest of jaded society.
The film begins at the end of a seemingly open-and-shut trial of a young Puerto Rican boy accused of murdering his father. The 12-man jury retires to their microscopic, sweltering quarters to decide the verdict. When the votes are counted, 11 men rule guilty, while one-played by Henry Fonda-feels that the boy may be innocent. Stressing the idea of 'reasonable doubt,' Fonda slowly chips away at the jury, who represent a microcosm of white, male society-exposing the prejudices and preconceptions that directly influence the other jurors' snap judgments. The tight script by Reginald Rose (based on his own teleplay) presents each juror vividly using detailed soliloquies, all of which are expertly performed by the film's flawless cast.

3 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (Best Director, Best Picture, Best Writing)
WINNER Best Picture, EDGAR ALLAN POE AWARDS
WINNER Best Actor (Fonda), BAFTA FILM AWARDS

''A masterpiece''
-- Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN TIMES

''12 Angry Men ranks as the tautest courtroom drama you'll ever see''
-- John A. Nesbit, CULTUREDOSE.NET

''While the composition of juries might change over time, the issues and attitudes that are explored here are timeless, as is this classic film.''
-- Brian Webster, APOLLO GUIDE