12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men is a 1957 American drama film. It was adapted from a teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose and directed by Sidney Lumet. The film tells the story of a jury made up of 12 men. They must decide the guilt or innocence of a defendant on the basis of reasonable doubt. In the United States (both then and now), a verdict in most criminal trials by jury must be unanimous (everyone in agreement). The film is notable for its almost exclusive use of just one set – the jury room. A total of 93 minutes out of 96 minutes is in the jury room. The other three minutes take place with one scene outside on the steps of the courthouse, and two short scenes in a washroom.

12 Angry Men explores many techniques of how to reach agreement. It looks at the difficulties getting a group of men to agree. Their wide range of personalities adds spice, passion and conflict. Apart from two of the jurors swapping names while leaving the courthouse, no names are used in the film. The defendant is referred to as "the boy" and the witnesses as the "old man" and "the lady across the street". On its first release, 12 Angry Men received critical acclaim. However, the film was a financial disaster at the box office because it was black and white and other movies were being made in colour. Today, the film is viewed as a classic. It is highly regarded from both a critical and popular viewpoint.