12 Angry Men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

12 Angry Men - Essay Example rovide an intimate look into the American justice system, complete with its breakdowns, weaknesses and strengths, that has withstood the test of time, holding its own among the classic films of American cinema. Far from the highly colorized, flash and bang of modern cinema, â€Å"12 Angry Men† takes place in a single room and involves 12 ordinary men who are each stereotypical of prevalent societal attitudes at the time of the film’s making, but could as easily be transferred to more modern times, forcing the viewer to focus on the psychological action occurring rather than the latest high-dollar computer graphic imagery or fast-moving car chase scene. The production of this film provides it with an importance different from that of its subject matter, setting an artistic precedence in keeping with the intentions of the director and contributing greatly to the impact of the film in general. Filmed almost exclusively in a bare, 16 by 24 foot real-life jury room, this film nevertheless has an interesting production history that lends it weight and appeal that might otherwise have been lost in today’s movie-making mentality.2 Having started as a television screenplay by Reginald Rose, the project was expanded in 1956 for the cinema at the request of co-producer and star Henry Fonda. Created with a budget of only $350,000, the film did not have much room for enticing special effects, elaborate scenery or extensive on-location filming.3 Instead, it was filmed on site in approximately 17 days in the actual jury room of New York’s courthouse. Although color was available for films in this time period, the use of black and white film worked to reduce costs as well as further highlighting the life and death question that hung in the balance as the main point of the movie. The makers of the film took another almost unheard of approach to the production of this movi e in that they hired Sidney Lumet to direct it, a man who had only directed television programs up