 The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] 12 Angry Men, by Sidney Lumet , may be the most radical big-screen courtroom drama in cinema history. A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system as riveting as it is spare, the iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose's teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the initially dissenting foreman on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. What results is a saga of epic proportions that plays out in real time over ninety minutes in one sweltering room. Lumet's electrifying snapshot of 1950s America on the verge of change is one of the great feature-film debuts. Storyline: The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case of murder soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room. Written by pjk Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov on November 16, 2011 -- Nominated for three Oscar Awards and winner of Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; Franklin J. Schaffner's television play; gallery of interviews with Sidney Lumet; video interview with film scholar Vance Kepley; video essay by curator Ron Simon; video interview with cinematographer John Bailey; and more. The disc also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring Thane Rosenbaum's essay "Lumet's Faces". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked". Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men may well be the simplest yet most effective courtroom drama ever filmed. It takes place in a small room, on a hot summer day, and follows twelve jurors as they attempt to determine the fate of a young Puerto Rican man charged with the killing of his father. The focus of attention is entirely on the interpretations of the evidence the jurors have been presented with. The names of the jurors are not revealed before they enter the room. They are also not mentioned after they enter the room. When the men address each other they use their numbers. The foreman, Juror No.1 (Martin Balsam, Tora! Tora! Tora!), is an energetic and accommodating football coach. Juror No. 2 (John Fiedler, The Odd Couple) is a quiet but curious bank clerk. Juror No.3 (Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront) is an energetic and stubborn businessman. Juror No. 4 (E.G. Marshall, The Chase) is a respected and critical broker. Juror No. 5 (Jack Klugman, Days of Wine & Roses) is a young Baltimore Orioles fan. Juror No. 6 (Edward Binns, The Verdict) is a tough house painter. Juror No.7 (Jack Warden, All the President's Men) is a loud and fast-talking salesman. Juror No.8 (Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West) is a quiet architect. Juror No. 9 (Joseph Sweeney, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit) is an intelligent and observant old man. Juror No. 10 (Ed Begley, Hang 'Em High) is a loud and obnoxious garage owner. Juror No. 11 (George Voskovec, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold) is an East European watchmaker. And Juror No. 12 (Robert Webber, 10) is an energetic advertising agent who loves to crack jokes. The first vote reveals that only one of the jurors, No. 8, is unsure whether the young man is indeed guilty. His uncertainty triggers a series of passionate discussions during which each juror reevaluates the evidence presented by the prosecution. Then a series of new votes follow. The film has two simple goals: to explain the jury process and the principle of reasonable doubt. Through the various discussions that follow the initial vote, the film tackles familiar social and cultural prejudices that could reshape the "truth". The ones highlighted after Juror No. 11 sides with Juror No. 8 are particularly interesting as they are very much alive and well today. The film ends on a high note but its message is actually quite sobering. Because of the mistakes made by the defense, it is up to the jurors to uphold justice. Naturally, there are two different trials underway - one for the young man who is accused of killing his father and another that essentially judges the American legal system. 12 Angry Men is based on a television play by Reginald Rose and was director Lumet's first feature film. It was released in 1957, three years after the television play directed by Franklin J. Schaffner had aired as part of the CBS series Westinghouse Presents Studio One. With the exception of Fonda, at the time the only true star, and Begley, none of the other actors who played the jurors were particularly well known in Hollywood before the film's premiere. They were all stage actors who had done some TV work. The acting, however, is uniformly superb. Fonda is incredible as the liberal architect who asks the majority of the difficult questions in the film. Voskovec is also very convincing as the naturalized American citizen. Cobb's character transformation is absolutely breathtaking. Note: In 1958, 12 Angry Men won Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2007, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men is one of the greatest American films of all time. Superbly executed, it offers a fascinating look at the strengths and weaknesses of the American legal system that remains unmatched. As expected, Criterion's presentation of the film is of exceptionally high quality. The Blu-ray also contains a wealth of insightful supplemental features, as well as Franklin J. Schaffner's television play that inspired the film. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Cast Notes: Martin Balsam (Juror #1), John Fiedler (Juror #2), Lee J. Cobb (Juror #3), E.G. Marshall (Juror #4), Jack Klugman (Juror #5), Edward Binns (Juror #6), Jack Warden (Juror #7), Henry Fonda (Juror #8), Joseph Sweeney (Juror #9), Ed Begley (Juror #10), George Voskovec (Juror #11), Robert Webber (Juror #12).
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