12 Angry Men [Movie / 1957]

Out of all the movies that are worth watching there are some that manage to climb to the top without any special effects and extravagant props and locations, that rely strictly on dialogue, plot and actors, 12 Angry Men (1957) is such a movie. The whole action takes place in a single room (without counting the bathroom and the short introductory part that takes place in the court room. The jury has to decide the fate of a boy who supposedly killed his violent father.

The reason I recommend this movie is because out of the 12 jurors, only one sees the gravity of the situation, only one is willing to discuss about the case while the others just want to get it over with. There are people who can't get over their own experiences or have preconceived notions, there are people who simply don't care or who are cowards... the movie in a way describes a whole community/nation, even our entire species, in the face of a hard decision. The first one who questions a majority is initially perceived as a madman because, well, "the evidence is clear". He (the first dissenter, played by Henry Fonda), was in fact the only one who either succeeded in looking at the situation in an objective manner, or felt of the boy's drama as rather familiar, I am inclined to go with the first possibility. What we can learn from this movie is not that the American judiciary system is the best (although we can not rule out this intention, we are speaking of an American movie after all) but that we may have barriers that hinder clear thinking and not even know about them. We should daily make mental exercises when we distance ourselves from the world and see it from the sky, and looking down all problems are not problems, but possibilities. We will only see reality when our eyes, hearts and minds are clear.

The movies is directed by Sydney Lumet and written by Reginald Rose.
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