12 Angry Men

A closer look at the story

The arguments are over in the trial of a young man accused of killing his father, and the decision now rests with twelve jurors shut inside a stifling room. For most of them the case looks simple and should be settled quickly, but one juror wants to go over the evidence again because a life depends on the outcome. As the discussion stretches on, the jurors' prejudices, personal grievances and impatience become as visible as the facts of the case. Directed by Sidney Lumet from a screenplay by Reginald Rose, the 97-minute 1957 film stars Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E. G. Marshall and Martin Balsam in a drama about justice, doubt and responsibility set almost entirely in a single room.