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NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Film Society has issued a summons for the public to attend a screening of "Twelve Angry Men," as part of the kick-off for the society's courtroom drama film series.
The screening starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the New Ulm Public Library.
"Twelve Angry Men" was selected as the first film in the courtroom drama series after a short deliberation. The film is widely considered to be one of the best legal dramas and features an all-start case.
"Twelve Angry Men" was released in 1957 and stars a dozen legendary character actors including; Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fielder, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeny, Ed Begley, George Voskovec and Robert Webber.
In the film, these 12 men make a jury that must deliberate in a capital murder case. At first, the jury's deliberation seems like an open-and-shut case with most of the jurors believing the defendant, a young man, is guilty of killing his father. However, there is one holdout. Juror #8, played by Fonda, is reluctant to vote guilty without more discussion. The jury is forced to hotly debate the merits of the case while confined to a New York City jury room. The longer the men debate the case, the more they realize that it is not as open and shut as they once thought and personal prejudices might play a larger factor than they first realized.
"Twelve Angry Men" was originally written for television. A TV version of the story appeared on CBS in 1954. The success of the television production led to feature films.
Before shooting began on the film, director Sidney Lumet had the actors rehearse extensively. By the time the cameras began rolling, the actors knew their lines forward and backward. They were able to complete filming in 21 days.
In addition to the strong acting, the film uses several cinematography tricks to heighten the wide range of emotions in the story. At the start of the movie, the camera angle is above eye level pointing down with a wide-angle lens. This makes the cramped set appear to have more space. As the jury deliberates, the camera level lowers and gets tighter on the actors’ faces, creating a sense of claustrophobia as the tension boils over in the jury room
The film is also told in real time. Once the cast of characters enters the jury room, there are no edits to compress the time. The audience gets to witness every second of dialogue exchanged between the characters. The result is an incredibly engaging story centered around a single argument: guilt or not guilty.
This is the secret to the success of “Twelve Angry Men” and other legal dramas. Real-life court proceedings provide more conflict and personal drama than most fiction stories. There are many people who follow true crime stories as a form of entertainment.
"Twelve Angry Men" was not a financial success when it was first released, but it was a critical hit. It received several Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
It is now widely regarded as a cinema classic, but it is also something of an educational tool. For many people, “Twelve Angry Men” is the first introduction to the United States jury system. The movie is also cited as one of the best endorsements of the U.S. legal system.
In one scene Juror #11, who is an immigrant to the United States, praises the jury system saying it is one of the most remarkable things about a democracy, citing it as the reason the United States is a strong nation.
"Twelve Angry Men" is a powerful film that, like jury duty, should be required of all citizens.
The New Ulm Film Society's screening of "Twelve Angry Men" is free to the public. Before and after the film, there will be a discussion about the film's place in film history and its importance as a legal drama.