Movie Minx

Starring: Henry Fonda + 11 Angry Men
Directed by: Sidney Lumet

Plot: 12 jurors sit in a hot room and argue about whether someone is guilty or not guilty. It starts raining.

But is it any good?

I knew nothing about this film and then made the mistake of consulting my weighty ‘History of Cinema’ book. It bloody well gave the end away! I was so annoyed that it took a good 2-3 attempts to watch more than 10 minutes of 12 Angry Men. It just seemed dull - a stifling room, 12 old farts with their own predjudices all wanting to go home, and reluctant to have their views questioned and discussed. Knowing the ending just seemed to remove any sort of doubt or anticipation. Yes, the butler did it.

Then I got over it, relaxed, and started watching properly. Soon it didn’t matter that I knew the ending; I still enjoyed the gradual fleshing out of each character, the clever little twists and turns of the debate and the growing tension and emotional breakthroughs. These days a discussion about class prejudice may not be the revelation onscreen that it was then, but it’s still an lively topic. And the fact that these nameless men are all locked in a cramped room together, with only a table, chairs and ashtrays as their props, makes for a simple but intense two-hour movie.

So who knows how I would’ve rated this if I hadn’t had the ending spoiled? Nevertheless, I give it a solid B+.

IMDb’s rating: 8.7/10
My rating: 7.5/10

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