The closing arguments are coming in from a murder trial of an inner city teen that, if proven guilty, can send him to the chair. He’s being accused of murdering his father, and 12 jurors could end his life. The jurors try to reach a unanimous decision, but one juror (Henry Fonda), thinks otherwise. He casts sizeable doubt about some of the witnesses and evidence given in this case, as heated arguments and personal problems rise through the rubble of strong opinions. Soon, things may start to derail as one boy may have his last look at the blue sky and his last breath of fresh air.
Movies are one thing, but when a film gives you more than just a scare or a couple of laughs–maybe even a good cry–that’s more than just a film. This is a film that invests you into the topic of heated juror arguments, and how people are simply just people. We all have opinions and they can and will make mistakes. This film is specifically superb with how real it is, as the panoramic shots and spin shots quickly rotate out actors. If a person loves the art of film, dream-like shots can be found here. The casting and lighting are chefs kiss, especially the excellent actors as you have Henry Fonda as juror number eight, Lee . J Cobb as Juror number three, Jack Clugmen as Juror number 5, and the old man in the film Joseph Sweeny as Juror number nine. Personally these actors stand out the most, but especially Jack Clugmen and Lee . J Cobb as both of them give a performance of a lifetime. The dynamic of Jack Clugmen playing the shy and quiet Juror that’s nervous around others and afraid to share his opinions against Cobb who gives the meanest performance in the film is very entertaining. I tip my hat to Cobb, as he plays a man whose judgment is clouded by personal problems, and how he himself tries to mandate people to send this kid to the chair. Lastly, Henry Fonda gives a classic performance as a man who wants to know more than he already knows, and tries to convince the other men, and the audience to not make a judgment right off the bat. More information never hurt anyone. All around, this movie deserves five gold bars for acting and four gold bars for directing. I will see you the next time you want to come back to the movies.