Big screen classics

12 Angry Men

Henry Fonda heads a charismatic cast in Lumet’s landmark drama about conflict between jurors in a murder trial.

USA 1957
Dir Sidney Lumet
With Henry Fonda, Lee J Cobb, Ed Begley, EG Marshall
96min
Digital
Certificate U

Lumet’s landmark courtroom drama – which actually takes place in the jury’s deliberation chamber – centres on Henry Fonda, typecast but superb as the lone juror who doubts the defendant’s guilt and fights a battle of wits against his fellow jurors’ various certainties and prejudices. Lumet milks the single-set claustrophobia for all it’s worth, and elicits a marvellous clutch of performances from a matchless cast.