#9, 12 Angry Men

So, I watched Vertigo tonight, and boy, do I have much to say about it. While I'm tempted to get it out of the way right now, I shall stick with my viewing order. I think it's the kind of film I'll be able to say more about after it's sat for a while, anyway.

First of all, I just love this film's title. I wanted to get that out of the way. Luckily, though, the film has far more going for it than just its title. It's generally safe to assume that a film that takes place, for the most part, entirely within one room is not going to be that great. It doesn't take much knowledge or imagination that holding an audience's interest for over 1 1/2 hours without a change of scenery can be incredibly difficult. For accomplishing this alone, 12 Angry Men is commendable. It's the way in which Lumet does this, however, that's quite extraordinary.

At this point, I know I've said in several of my reviews that the films possess extraordinary casts, but I'm quite serious in this case. I don't think that I've seen many films with a better group of character actors, except perhaps in The Seven Samurai, and even in that film, the style was entirely different (being in Japanese and all). Almost all of the characters are distinct and engaging, and my only regret really is that we didn't get to spend more time with each of them. The film is more about the story being told (twelve jurors debating the fate of a man who initially appears obviously guilty of murder), and therefore the characters are there more to add color than anything else. While the script and story are wonderful, the plot is entirely predictable, and once a given juror has changed his mind and said his piece, he doesn't have much more to add. A few characters, though wonderfully portrayed, also bothered me with how one-dimensional they were at moments.

Another touch that I absolutely loved in 12 Angry Men was the cinematography. Specifically, as the film progressed, the camera angles became lower and lower, with more close-ups on individual actors, creating a wonderful sense of claustrophobia and panic. Combined with the performances and involvement, as well as rapidly failing mental states, of each of the characters, and 12 Angry Men tells one of the best visual stories I've seen. There really isn't a dull moment throughout, especially with Henry Fonda's portrayal of the enigmatic Juror #8 carrying the course of the entire film.

Highlights: Focuses on the story, delivering it beautifully. Colorful and exquisitely acted characters, engaging cinamatography and well-paced dialogue.

Downers: Focuses on the story, with colorful characters who have difficulty becoming more than characters. All too predictable, even right down to the order the jurors change their minds.

8/10