Get Your History On

Director Sidney Lumet was described by many of his American contemporaries as the “last of the great movie moralists”. Sadly, he died in April this year, leaving behind a legacy of unsurpassed filmmaking that will likely be talked about for generations to come.

During the 1970s, Lumet was at his creative peak with a succession of gems like “Serpico” (1973), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), and “Network” (1976), the latter respectfully noted by UP Magazine last month. All were Oscar winners; all featured themes on social prejudice, injustice and corruption; and all successfully married social issues with ingenious cinematic technique and powerful performances.

However, it was Lumet’s debut feature, “12 Angry Men”, that cemented his reputation. Despite its age, “12 Angry Men” is a thrilling classic and could not be more relevant today. Recalling Harper Lee’s sensational To Kill A Mockingbird, but told from the perspective of a complex bunch of ordinary Joes on jury duty, the film goes a long way towards lambasting racial discrimination, xenophobic attitudes and fear of the “other” during 1950s America.

Made one year after the initiation of the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1956–1968) when immigration was also rife throughout the U.S., the story follows one man’s crusade. The heroic Henry Fonda is determined to convince eleven stubborn jury members that a slum kid of unspecified ethnic origin is innocent of a horrendous crime -- the brutal stabbing and killing of his own father. It quickly becomes clear that several of Fonda’s cohorts belie reasonable doubt, voting the boy GUILTY to service their own prejudices.

Thereby, these other jurors make it almost impossible for Fonda to dissect the already shaky evidence and win the majority over. Steadfast but alone, Fonda manages to sieve through vendettas and racial hatred to save the accused from the electric chair. It’s with a certain nonchalant despair that Fonda, when asked if the jury is “a nice bunch of guys?”,replies, “Oh, they’re about the same as everybody else”, knowing full well that such discrimination exists around every corner. “12 Angry Men” is a riveting watch.

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