MovieChat Forums > 12 Angry Men (1957) Discussion > How does this film hold up over time?

How does this film hold up over time?


This is one of the only movies in the imdb top 50 that I haven't seen. How well does it hold up to the years?

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Saw the movie two hours ago. Wonder why and how I didn't see it earlier. Timeless masterpiece in every aspect. Solid 9.

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Watched it for the first time last night. Yes, a "timeless masterpiece in every aspect." I recommend it highly! Great characters, actors, great direction!

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Except for filming in B&W and some of the social behaviors which were the norms back then (i.e. smoking indoors, men regularly dressing in suits, ties and hat, etc.) the morals of the story and the social situations are holding up very well; just like "To Kill A Mocking Bird" with Gregory Peck, movies should be seen by all (especially students) in this country.

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smoking indoors is outdated ? huh ..

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>>> smoking indoors is outdated ? huh ..

Don't understand your post. Until the 1980's, you could pretty much smoke wherever you wanted to. It was ubiquitous. The restrictions to smoking in the past 30 years compared to before are enormous.


It should be against the law to use 'LOL'; unless you really did LOL!

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Sooo true... When I worked retail in the mid 80's, we had 3 ashtrays along the 9' counter in my store.

We could/would 'ring-up' a customer with a cigarette in our mouths; it's TABOO to smoke inside today (unless trying to get a murder suspect to confess by offering her {oops, him?} a cigarette) ! !

~
"My Dr. told me to start smoking; then I could quit chewing so much gum."
.. Rodney Dangerfield

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I sought out this film after seeing the "One Angry Veronica" episode of Veronica Mars it inspired. I'm glad I did. I hope people are still watching Twelve Angry Men for as long as we have a jury system.

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just watched it for the first time today.

i really really liked it. i guess i wouldnt mind a modern rendition of it, but suppose they would screw that up somehow. so whatever.

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I've watched two (fairly) modern remakes—12 Angry Men (1997) and 12 (2007). I don't think either comes close to the quality of this movie. I wouldn't say they "screwed it up", really, but the only real reason I can see to watch them is to compare them to this version.

Don't listen to the negative ones; their arguments are irrational.

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I just finished watching it. I expected to be bored, as I'm not too fond of 50's cinema, but this movie was an absolute masterpiece. Most of it is done in real time, by that I mean that you are in the room from the beginning to the end (at least where the it really starts and pretty much ends) and there is no cut to make it seem as if some time has gone by. Even with this style, it was still without a dull moment. The camera work was also really good and unique in the way that it switches focus from character to character. Yes it holds up!

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I've seen it the first time last night.
Excellent character study. If you like "Glengarry Glen Ross", "Rope" or "Carnage", you'll love this one!

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I had seen this a long time ago (maybe 30-35 years ago), just saw it again. With age and some maturity, your perspective can change (I could not appreciate it fully when I was 15 or so, few can). All I can say about it is "they don't make them like this anymore"!



Cute and cuddly boyz!!

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I watched it for the second time last night and i still think it's one of the best films of all-time. I gave it a 9 but i'm very close to giving it a 10.

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You'll give it 10 when you'll realize (as I did after the 3rd watch)
that there is a scheme in how jurors are placed around the table..

here are some of my hypothesis:

the person that thinks only "with his gut" is opposed in the table
to the one that thinks only using rationality;

the one from the modern way of thinking (the marketing guy) is opposed to the
one with old-fashioned manners;

the man that uses to sit in the first row, near the teacher at school,
is opposed to the "last of the class" (to use an euphemism)

the man that is not taken into account because is an immigrant is opposed
to a man that is not taken into account because is from the slums.

the man (the old one) that is able to project himself to other people for the good (using empathy) is opposed to the man that project himself (his story with his son) to other people to find revenge

every time I see this movie I find new details; this is a entertaining movie
and a wonderful humanistic essay in the same time!

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