CURRENT RANK: #6
Being a lawyer, I thought that I should begin my review with this movie, since it is about the judicial system (among many other things). I had never seen it before, yet it was ranked so high on the IMDB list, so that made me want to see it even more.
Where to start? The superb acting performances by all the jurors is awe-inspiring. What's more, all 12 of them seem to really click and feed off each other. Though credit must also be given to the fantastic directing.
I find that one key thing to keep in mind when watching an older movie is the time in which it was made. This movie was made in 1957, before the Civil Rights movement, and truthfully, in an America where life was just much different among different races than it is now. The social issues "12 Angry Men" deals with for its time are nothing short of inspiring.
Each juror has a memorable and unique personality, so that by the end of the movie, you could probably describe each of them in at least 1 sentence. Keep in mind this movie isn't unusually long either. It's about a regular length film (1:30 or so), so the fact that so many different personalities are able to capture one's imagination and leaving a lasting impression is awesome.
You feel the scenes of the movie really mesh into one smooth ride... it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat as the movie progresses. You won't for a second feel like you are watching a movie made in 1957 due to the timelessness of human nature and our societal issues. This is one of the main reasons this movie ages so well.
Finally, and this has been mentioned by many others, the fact it is in black and white strangely makes it that much more real. It emphasizes the beauty of this movie: its story, dialogue, acting, and directing. Not the crazy production we have nowadays. This is a movie about the basics of film making, and how to execute them perfectly.
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