"If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Sir Isaac Newton
I liked the 2007 remake by Russian director/actor Nikita Mikhalkov (he plays the foreman of the jury) even better than the original film directed by Sidney Lumet starring Henry Fonda. But I am well aware that were it not for Reginald Rose's original CBS teleplay, his 1955 staging and the 1957 film '12 Angry Men' , '12' would not exist.
To me they are a package deal though '12' would stand on its own regardless of whether or not the viewer has been exposed to the pre-existing artistic framework upon which it was built.
Sir Isaac Newton
I liked the 2007 remake by Russian director/actor Nikita Mikhalkov (he plays the foreman of the jury) even better than the original film directed by Sidney Lumet starring Henry Fonda. But I am well aware that were it not for Reginald Rose's original CBS teleplay, his 1955 staging and the 1957 film '12 Angry Men' , '12' would not exist.
To me they are a package deal though '12' would stand on its own regardless of whether or not the viewer has been exposed to the pre-existing artistic framework upon which it was built.
5 comments:
I’ve always loved “12 Angry Men” – the lone juror standing up to the mob, each juryman forced to overcome his gut instinct to vote “guilty,” the mix of men of all types forced to work together. The movie is also a window into New York City in the 1940s and ‘50s. That was my father’s generation and those men were models of what kinds of men there were their city was the archetype of what a great city was like. This was also one of the films that showed me how our justice system works and sometimes fails. (See “The Wrong Man,” also staring Henry Fonda, for a view of our justice system from the perspective of the accused – You’ll never trust eye-witness accounts again.)
The makers of “12” added great content. We actually see the accused, see how his life was torn up, how he coped- a much fuller account than the original’s “sure this kid’s mad. And you know why? He’s been hit on the head once a day every day since he was born.” And Fonda’s character was called a bleeding heart for saying that! I suppose society has changed for the better in the last 50 years.
I love the changes made in the experiment scene. By giving the jury a whole gymnasium instead of a slightly cramped jury room, the entire jury is able to get into the experiment. Setting it up became a group effort – just like when we were young and had to run the obstacle course in gym. And who can’t take secret glee when the last “angry” juror, the one who makes threatening moves with the knife, has the tables turned on him by a man who handles a knife with grace, artistry, and “cut the crap or I will cut out your liver, slice it into 12 pieces and serve it to the jury before you know what happened” accuracy.
We also see how human nature has not changed: the men are ready to do what they are told – to vote guilty. I’m sure the court officer’s statement that they should be done in 20 minutes would not be allowed. (Jury Tampering, anyone?) Some men are more interested in their vacation or business trips than justice or public service. Men are still bigoted and violent. Men still screw it up with their kids.
The only addition I could have done without was the whole “we know the real killer will come after this kid” and the subsequent “adoption” of the kid by the jury foreman. It seemed too Happy Ending for me.
Lee, I am glad to see that you updated your Just Watched list. There are so many films to add to my list!
David, your comments on the latest discussion are really well written and helpful.
Thanks guys.
Hi Lee, I noticed that you never sent a 'heads up' note letting us know that the new discussion had begun. It would be great if you could notify us each time like you used to so we can stay on top of it. Sometimes things get so hectic around here that a month can easily go by without us remembering to check in!
Thanks Lee, the blog is really well done and even though we don't
usually comment, be assured that we read every word with relish and especially love the LEE JUST WATCHED listings.
Hi Adam and Leanna. When my computer crashed a fw months back I forgot to find a way to send out the reminder list for the blog. So sorry about that. Apparently (based on the lack of responses this month) it makes a very big difference to people so I better get back on the ball and start sending it. Thanks for letting me know that it is importatnt to you.
You'll hear from me early December for the next film!
And thanks time-will-tell for keeping up with the just watched list. It takes forever to write for some reason so I often put it off for ages. Knowing people appreciate it gives me incentive to keep up on that as well.
Thanks for the compliment Anonymous. It is helpful to know that even during times like this month when very few people comment someone out there may still be reading the blog and or watching the films. It is feedback like yours that keep the energy flowing. Enjoy and join in again when you feel like it.
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