Oversight Marathon: 12 Angry Men (1957)

I think this one is going to be shorter than most, if not all, of the other write-ups of the Oversight Marathon.  That’s because all that I can think about is gushing over 12 Angry Men.  I don’t want to write two pages about how much I loved the movie.  That would defeat the entire purpose of the write-ups.  That used to be what I’d do, but I don’t like simply gushing over what I like and hating on what I dislike.  I like to give some purpose to what I write.  This time, what I’m going to write is going to be short and to the point.  I think.  It could end up being just as long as anything else.  Look at this paragraph.  I’ve rambled on about how I’m going to be in and out rather quickly.  It’s making it longer.  Anyway, let’s get to what I want to say.

12 Angry Men has one thing going for it that so many other movies simply do not have.  That one thing is strong acting from every cast member.  There is not a weak performance in the bunch.  This is necessary to the film since it is primarily set in a single room.  If there was a weak performance, it would stick out like a sore thumb.  You need great acting to keep the viewer invested in the story.  It’s gripping because of the emotion flowing through the acting.  You feel from every line, every look, every motion.  Every actor cast in 12 Angry Men brought depth to their characters in a way that I don’t believe I have ever seen in a movie before.  It’s a wonder that it took me so long to watch this movie.

I love a good movie where the acting performances are the highlights, rather than action or plot.  A great acting performance can put a movie on a whole other level.  12 Angry Men is on another level.