There are very few movies that make you go speechless, remain
awestruck due to their sheer concept and execution. This is one such movie.
12 men, each from a different background, different views and
opinions, strangers to one another, come together, along with their personal
prejudices, to reach a decision acceptable to all. This line itself shows the
magnitude of complexity involved, and to make a movie out of it is a work of
true genius and a one that leaves you spellbound.
Right from the first shot, till the final one, you are so
engrossed that you would even forget to breathe. If the background sound track,
screenplay, script, direction are the cake, then the roles enacted by the
characters [I say characters here, not the actors, because you believe they are
truly the 12 angry men] are the icing on top of the cake.
Surprisingly it was only after the movie, did I realize that it
was a black and white movie. The movie shows that to make a good movie, you
don’t need exotic locations or high drama, or superstars. All you need is a
good story and good actors who make you forget they are merely playing their
parts in the play.
The movie teaches you how an analytical mind and logical thinking
can make a difference of life and death. It teaches you to be the most
responsible when you have a person’s life at stake. It shows how our personal
prejudices and upbringing can affect our reasoning, how our senses play with
our sense of judgment, how we let our emotions take over, at a time when it is
required to be fair and impartial, how we tend to be a part of the crowd
because we scared to be the odd – man-out. How one man, one true, sensible and
empathetic man, it takes to make a difference. How important it is to have an
objective and open mind, at any point of decision-making - in life/ death
matters. How we are so stuck upon the facts and what we see, that we forget to
use our mind, the ultimate powerful tool that we have. And that all it takes is
sense and reason to convince someone, not decibels!!
There are movies that make you laugh, or cry. There are movies
that make you wonder and then there are movies that make you think, force you
to ponder upon it, understand it, and learn from it (if possible). This is one
such movie and a must – watch for one and all.
