The Twelve Jurors (1957)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The twelve jurors |
| Original title | 12 Angry Men |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1957 |
| length | 96 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Sidney Lumet |
| script | Reginald Rose |
| production |
Henry Fonda Reginald Rose |
| music | Kenyon Hopkins |
| camera | Boris Kaufman |
| cut | Carl Lerner |
| occupation | |
Also Rudy Bond (judge), James Kelly (court guard) and John Savoca (defendant) | |
The Twelve Jurors (original title: 12 Angry Men ) is the feature film debut of the American director Sidney Lumet from the year 1957. The court film in the style of a chamber play is a cinema adaptation of the television play of the same name by Reginald Rose , which was also published on September 20, 1954 under the Directed by Lumets as part of the television series Studio One which was broadcast.
The film in its original theatrical version from 1957 is still regarded by sociologists and psychologists as a prime example for viewing role behavior , group behavior and group dynamic processes .
action
After six days of trial of a murder trial in which an eighteen-year-old Puerto Rican from the slums is accused of the murder of his father, the twelve jurors withdraw to the jury room of the court. Here they should discuss the judgment, which must be passed unanimously. If found guilty, the accused faces execution by the electric chair . Based on two clear testimony, the guilty verdict appears to be a straightforward matter that does not require long deliberation. But in the first vote, jury number 8 is the only one of the twelve jurors to vote not guilty, while the other eleven, more or less convinced, vote in favor of condemning the young man.
Juror No. 8 cannot say whether the accused is innocent - but he cannot identify any clear guilt in the alleged murderer either and does not want to sacrifice a human life frivolously through a hasty judgment. Some jury, on the other hand, are interested in a quick end of the consultation for various reasons and therefore urge a quick verdict, not least because the weather forecast says the day will be the hottest of the year and the humid atmosphere creates additional tension. Against the protests of the others, in the further course of the deliberation, jury No. 8 - increasingly supported by those who gradually take his side - reconstructs the alleged course of events and uncovered inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence , which apparently was little involved Public defenders of the defendant have not been questioned.
Juror No. 8 succeeds in heated arguments to rebut the arguments and prejudices of the fellow jurors and to dissuade them from the guilty verdict because of well-founded doubts. When the second incriminating testimony and other evidence had to be questioned, the vote was eleven to one for “innocent”. Furious juror # 3 is the last to uphold the defendant's conviction. It becomes apparent that he is biased because he fell out with his son and no longer has any contact with him and is now projecting his hatred onto the accused . Ultimately, he shares the opinion of the eleven other jurors and also votes for an acquittal of the accused.
The jury
(List according to Reginald Rose)
# 1 ( Martin Balsam ) is the assistant coach of a high school football team in Queens and chairman of the jury . Trying to keep things tidy, but sometimes unsure, he tries to lead the discussion. However, he is reluctant to give his own opinion on the case. When he realizes that the mood has turned in favor of the accused, he reluctantly joins the new majority and is almost embarrassed that he has changed his mind.
No. 2 ( John Fiedler ), the friendly little bank clerk, is initially very insecure and at the same time excited, especially since he is on a jury for the first time. He tries to justify why he thinks the defendant is guilty, but cannot conclusively explain it. Nevertheless, he takes an active part, albeit mostly passively. In the course of the discussion, he thaws more and more, makes an important contribution when it comes to the use of the murder weapon, and defends himself against attacks.
No. 3 ( Lee J. Cobb ), a rough, quick-tempered man, has worked hard to build a small company. He also wanted to raise his son hard. They have had no contact since a physical dispute with him. He projects his anger and disappointment about his son onto the accused and wants to see him convicted. That is why he sees Juror No. 8, who has doubts about the guilt of the accused from the start, as an opponent. When he reveals the hidden motives of No. 3, a vehement confrontation ensues, which puts him on the defensive for the first time. More and more he turns the others against him, also because his impulsive and brusque manner often contradicts himself in terms of content. He only changes his mind when he ends up standing alone and realizes that he almost sacrificed a human life because of deep hurt over the conflict with his son. In the final scene he is seen walking slowly from the jury and apparently pensive.
No. 4 ( EG Marshall ) as a stockbroker is an analytically and objectively thinking character who does not allow himself any emotions and is always under control. Despite the humid heat in the room, he doesn't even sweat at first. He hated indiscipline and loathed the outbursts of emotions of other jurors, such as those of # 3 and # 10, even if, like them, he was convinced of the guilt of the accused. He tries to convince with factual arguments and enjoys a certain authority with the other jurors. A previously overlooked detail finally triggers well-founded doubts in him, whereupon he consequently changes his vote.
No. 5 ( Jack Klugman ), like the defendant, grew up in the New York slums . He is sensitive to prejudices that arise in the course of the discussion. He feels personally attacked, especially by No. 10, who is sitting across from him. No. 5 gains more and more self-confidence and brings his experiences from the slums into the discussion. When it comes to the murder weapon - a switchblade - he is the only one who knows how to use it and can show why it is unlikely that the boy stabbed his father. He is the third juror to ultimately vote “not guilty”.
No. 6 ( Edward Binns ) is a simple painter and construction worker with no intellectual background, but with clear moral principles. This is evident in his respect for the age of the aged judge No. 9. He makes him heard when he wants to say something, and when No. 3 attacks the old man, No. 6 rebukes him. Otherwise he tends to hold back in the discussion. At first he also believes in the guilt of the accused, but is convinced that there are reasonable doubts.
No. 7 ( Jack Warden ) makes his way through life as a sales representative for jam and attracts attention with his brisk sayings and little jokes. Whether or not the accused is guilty does not seem to care. It is more important to him that things get done quickly because he doesn't want to miss the New York Yankees baseball game that evening. Therefore, he is found guilty. When he notices that the mood is changing, he changes his vote to “not guilty” to speed things up. In doing so, however, he incurs the wrath of the jury in both camps.
No. 8 ( Henry Fonda ), an architect by profession , believes the defendant's guilt has not been proven beyond doubt. Therefore, he is the only one who votes “not guilty” from the start, even if he considers it possible that the accused may have committed the crime. But that's the only way he can get the others to go through the whole case point by point. He and the others notice more and more inconsistencies. In particular, he questions the testimony of the 75-year-old witness who has suffered a stroke and is restricted in his mobility. With skillful and persuasive reasoning, he can gradually get the others to change their view of the case and in the end achieve his goal.
No. 9 ( Joseph Sweeney ) is a quiet, older man with health problems who first also votes for "guilty", but then No. 8 follows first after his first statements and changes his vote. He doesn't want to make such an important decision as a guilty verdict rashly and support the person sitting next to him. He has no understanding for the aggressive demeanor of some jurors. He is mainly based on his long life experience and good knowledge of people . Above all, he can shake the credibility of the witnesses by analyzing their personality, their appearance and their motives. As a keen observer, he notices the crucial detail of the main witness that leads to the final breakthrough in an acquittal.
No. 10 ( Ed Begley ), who runs several gas stations, is a choleric racist who doesn't hold back with his prejudices. For him, the defendant is guilty solely because of his Puerto Rican origins. Therefore facts interest him only as long as they seem to prove the guilt of the accused. When more and more doubts arise about this, he becomes so enraged with his failures that the others turn away from him in disgust. No. 4 finally rebukes him coldly and sharply and forbids him to open his mouth again. Shocked, he collapses inside, sits down in a corner away from the group and doesn't offer any resistance at the next vote.
No. 11 ( George Voskovec ), immigrant from Europe, is a disciplined watchmaker who prides himself on being an American now. He takes notes and watches what is happening closely. He noticed a few contradictions. He appreciates the benefits of a free society and a fair judicial system. He exhorts the heated minds to calm down. The upright, emphatically friendly, but sometimes also unintentionally schoolmasterly man brings numbers 7 and 10 against himself. When No. 7 changes his vote to “not guilty” just because he hopes it will be faster, No. 11 has no understanding of this carelessness.
# 12 ( Robert Webber ) is a copywriter by profession and a shallow opportunist . He does not like conflicts, he disgusts the sharp arguments. During the discussions, he scribbled bored on his pad. He is more familiar with creative work processes from his professional life and can hardly do anything with the arguments here. He is a man of catchphrases and flippant sayings. In terms of content, it cannot contribute much. When he knows himself to be with the majority, he is still very self-confident. However, when the mood changes and he realizes that he now has to make a decision, he becomes increasingly insecure and unsteady. He is the only juror to change his vote three times.
History of origin
prehistory
The Twelve Jurors is based on the 60-minute live television play of the same name by Reginald Rose , which was broadcast on September 20, 1954 as part of the television series Studio One directed by Franklin J. Schaffner . The original cast consisted of Norman Fell (No. 1), John Beal (No. 2), Franchot Tone (No. 3), Walter Abel (No. 4), Lee Philips (No. 5), Bart Burns (No. 6), Paul Hartman (No. 7), Robert Cummings ("starring" juror No. 8) Joseph Sweeney (No. 9), Edward Arnold (No. 10), George Voskovec (No. 11) and Larkin Ford (No. 12). Only Joseph Sweeney (juror No. 9) as the oldest of the jurors and George Voskovec (juror No. 11) as immigrant watchmaker belonged to the cast of the cinema adaptation. For many years only the whereabouts of the film roles over the first half of the 1954 television play was known. They had been owned by the Museum of Television and Radio since 1976 . In 2003, a complete 16mm film version of the television game was discovered in the possession of Samuel Liebowitz, a former prosecutor and judge. Today this complete version is also in the possession of the Museum of Television and Radio.
Henry Fonda had seen the televised play and found the role of Juror # 8 particularly interesting. He then contacted Reginald Rose to work on a theatrical version. Reginald Rose extended and detailed the plot between the TV play 1954 and the movie 1957, because the latter had to be brought to the length of the cinema and is about half an hour longer than the TV play. Fonda invested private money in the film project and also co-produced the film with Rose.
Filming
The budget of the film, shot entirely in New York, was around 337,000 US dollars (around three million US dollars after today's inflation), which was already a low budget for a film back then. For the young director Sidney Lumet , it was his first cinema directing, after he had previously gained his first directing experience in numerous television series. Fonda selected Lumet to direct because he had television drama experience and a reputation for sticking to budget and shooting time. Due to the intensive rehearsals over two full weeks, the film could be shot in just 21 days. Not a woman was found in the cast of The Twelve Jurors , and only one, future short film director Faith Hubley , served as script supervisor on the production.
In order to create a claustrophobic atmosphere and a dynamic staging despite the spatial confinement, Lumet and his experienced, Oscar-winning cameraman Boris Kaufman used lenses with a long focal length, whereby the actors merge more closely with the background of the picture. During the course of the film, Kaufman's camera, which at the beginning of the film is mostly “above” the jury, comes more and more to their eye level and thus creates closeness to the viewer. The film also illuminates in such a way that the jury's room becomes darker and darker with increasing length and tension of the deliberations, which in the film is due to the passing summer thunderstorm.
Henry Fonda was asked by the United Artists film studio if he was interested in the film. In retrospect, Henry Fonda took on the role of actor as well as the producer position, a position that frustrated him and, apart from the television series The Deputy , which was made two years later , he never slipped back into the producer role . Fonda didn't like watching a movie he was in. So he didn't watch the entire film in the editing room, but replied to Sidney Lumet as he left the room: "Sidney, he's great" ("Sidney, it's magnificent.").
Further stage versions
After the movie, Rose wrote several stage versions of the play. In 1964 Leo Genn and Kenneth Wagg brought it to the stage at London's Queen's Theater. In 1996 Harold Pinter staged the play at the Comedy Theater in London and in 2004 the Roundabout Theater in New York presented a Broadway production that brought it to 328 performances.
The Landestheater Coburg brought a German adaptation to the stage in May 2009 as part of the Bavarian Theater Days. In this production, the audience took their seats on the stage around the jury table.
Compared to the theatrical version, the plot of the film is shorter in some places. In the play, the jury ponders who might have killed the defendant's father if it wasn't the defendant. It becomes clear that the father was a brutal thug and drunkard, who was at odds with many people and had a lot of trouble himself. In addition, the jury discussed a psychological report that was drawn up in the course of the investigation and that the accused had a personality who allegedly suggested a potential ability to murder.
In the jury room, characters are identified only by their numbers, in the order in which they sit around the table. Only two characters reveal their family names. In an epilogue , Henry Fonda (Juror # 8) and Joseph Sweeney (Juror # 9) meet on the steps of the courthouse and lose their anonymity with Sweeney introducing themselves as McCardle and Fonda as Davis . Juror No. 6 only mentions his name "James Heeley" in the German dubbing. In the original, he points to a name on a list and says to the judicial officer "This name is it".
Further film versions
In 1963 a West German television film was made under the title Die Twelve Jurors , directed by Günter Gräwert . It played Mario Adorf (no. 7), Lukas Ammann (no. 12), Herbert Bötticher (no. 2), Ernst Fritz Fürbringer (no. 4), Heini Göbel (no. 1), Robert Earl (no. 8) , Siegfried Lowitz ( no.3 ), Walter Rilla ( no.9 ), Karl-Georg Saebisch ( no.10 ), Josef Schaper (no.11), Wolfgang Weiser (no.5) and Ralf Wolter (no.6) .
In 1997, William Friedkin turned another TV version with The 12 Jurors . Here are Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott to see in the roles of Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb.
In 2007, at the age of 12, a Russian variation of Lumet's film was made, in which director Nikita Michalkow introduced a young Chechen man as a parricide.
German version
The German dubbed version was created in 1957 at Ultrasynchron Vohrer & Wolf OHG in Berlin.
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Juror No. 1 | Martin Balsam | Rainer Brandt |
| Juror No. 2 | John Fiedler | Hugo Schrader |
| Juror No. 3 | Lee J. Cobb | Wolf Martini |
| Juror No. 4 | EG Marshall | Friedrich Schoenfelder |
| Juror No. 5 | Jack Klugman | Axel Monjé |
| Juror No. 6 | Edward Binns | Arnold Marquis |
| Juror No. 7 | Jack Warden | Horst Niendorf |
| Juror No. 8 | Henry Fonda | Ernst Wilhelm Borchert |
| Juror No. 9 | Joseph Sweeney | Walter Suessenguth |
| Juror # 10 | Ed Begley | Werner Lieven |
| Juror No. 11 | George Voskovec | Bernhard Wicki |
| Juror # 12 | Robert Webber | Gert Günther Hoffmann |
Juror No. 11 speaks in the German dubbed version with a Swiss accent . In the English original it is an Eastern European accent .
An audio description was produced by Arte in 2013 .
reception
Aftermath
The judicial drama, produced by lead actor Henry Fonda and screenwriter Reginald Rose, won critical acclaim and numerous film awards, but Sidney Lumet's debut film was unsuccessful at the box office. The film brought no financial return, although it was more successful at the foreign box office than within the US. 12 Angry Men didn't bring any money for Fonda , as he had postponed his fee as a co-producer in case the film made a profit. The twelve jury is now considered a classic film and established Sidney Lumet's successful directing career, which he underpinned with works such as the crime novel Mord im Orient-Express (1974) or the Media Satire Network (1976). In 1982 Lumet directed The Verdict , another judicial drama starring Paul Newman , which also again starred Jack Warden and Edward Binns .
Allusions in pop culture
- The animated series The Simpsons alludes to the film in one scene. In the episode Bart Unpacks ( Season 5 , Episode 20), Homer is the only juror to be innocent.
- The series All Under One Roof deals with the topic (part "The 12th Juror"), with Jaleel White (Steve Urkel) acting as the jury, who has doubts about the guilty of the accused from the start.
- The Family Guy series devotes an entire episode to the theme of the film (season 11, episode 16).
- In the TV series Malcolm in the Middle , Conspirate Jurors (season 3, episode 20), in which the film is referred to in a humorous way, the protagonist Lois was also appointed to a jury. She first takes on the position of jury number 8, but then, due to her personal conflict with her eldest son, finally finds herself in the role of jury number 3.
Awards
The twelve jurors were nominated for three Academy Awards at the 1958 Academy Award ceremony , including Best Picture and Best Director, but failed to prevail against David Lean's war drama The Bridge on the Kwai , which won awards in seven categories, among others also as best film of the year and David Lean as best director. Henry Fonda was honored with the British Film Academy Award for best foreign actor that same year . Sidney Lumet won the Golden Bear for best film at the 1957 Berlinale .
Oscar 1958 nominated in the categories
- Best movie
- Best director
- Best adapted script
British Film Academy Awards 1958
- Best Foreign Actor ( Henry Fonda )
- nominated as best film
1958 Golden Globe Awards nominated in the categories
- Best film - drama
- Best director
- Best Actor - Drama (Henry Fonda)
- Best Supporting Actor ( Lee J. Cobb )
Awards from the American Film Institute
- In 2007, the film made it to 87th place in the list of the 100 best films of all time , while it was not mentioned in the 1998 list of the same name.
- The role of Juror No. 8 , played by Henry Fonda , reached number 28 on the list of the 50 greatest movie heroes of all time.
- In 2008, the film was ranked 2nd in the top 10 list of the best court dramas of all time.
Further awards at the 1957 Berlinale
- Golden Bear as the best film
- OCIC award
Blue Ribbon Awards 1960
- Best foreign film
Bodil 1960
- Best American Film
Directors Guild of America Award 1958
- nominated for best director
- Best movie
Étoile de Cristal 1958
- Prix International as the best foreign film
Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani 1958
- Best director for a foreign film
Jussi 1958
- Best Foreign Actor (Henry Fonda)
Kinema Junpo Awards 1960
- Best foreign film
Locarno International Film Festival 1957
- special price
- PGA Hall of Fame - Motion Pictures
- Best written American drama
- 2007 admission to the National Film Registry
In August 2008, a list of the best judicial films of all time appeared in the American Bar Association Journal . The twelve jurors were chosen in second place.
Reviews
In the IMDb's top 250 list, The Twelve Jurors ranks fifth with a rating of 8.9 (out of 10), making it the highest-ranking black and white film.
“Sidney Lumet's first film gives the action a great density and tension by limiting the place and the people. Finding the truth arises from the interplay of different types of people, ideologies and interests - a model case of “democratic” educational work. Excellent cast, played and photographed. "
“Director Sidney Lumet and author Reginald Rose come from television, which has a very beneficial influence on this film: In a confined space like in a television studio, without flashbacks and without camera flirtations, a lofty, cleverly measured, well-founded in every detail succeeded in almost everyone Attitude eloquent acting. "
"Exciting, humorous film, carried from the first to the last meter with a high sense of human responsibility."
"Claustrophobic atmosphere, brilliant actors, skillful camera work and editing."
“This is a film where the tension arises from personal conflict, dialogue and body language, not from movement; [...] where logic, emotions and prejudices collide and try to get the upper hand. "
DVD release
- The 12 jurors . MGM Home Entertainment 2001
literature
- Reginald Rose : The Twelve Jurors (Original Title: Twelve Angry Men ). Dramatized for the German stage by Horst Budjuhn . Reclam, Stuttgart 1996, 104 pp., ISBN 3-15-007821-0
- Reginald Rose: Twelve Angry Men, A play . Samuel French LTD, London, 1955, 62 pp., ISBN 0-573-04012-5
- Reginald Rose: Twelve Angry Men. A Play in Three Acts . Stage version by Sherman L. Sergel; adapted from the television show of the same name initially presented on Studio One, CBS-TV. Dramatic pub. Co., Chicago 1955 (English edition)
- Carsten Tritt: One on the twelve in section No. 57, 01/2010, p. 68
Web links
- The twelve jurors in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Twelve Angry atRotten Tomatoes(English)
- Review on Filmzentrale.com
- Trailer with the decisive scenes on YouTube (there are also other trailers for this film available on YouTube )
Individual evidence
- ^ Reginald Rose: Twelve Angry Men, A play . Samuel French LTD, London 1955, 62 pp., ISBN 0-573-04012-5
- ↑ Twelve Angry Men (1954) at IMDB. Retrieved July 19, 2019 .
- ↑ Emmys Flashback: In 1954, 'Twelve Angry Men' Debuted Live on CBS. Accessed July 19, 2019 .
- ↑ Ronald Bergan: Obituary: Reginald Rose . In: The Guardian . April 23, 2002, ISSN 0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed July 19, 2019]).
- ^ Media History Digital Library: Variety (December 1958) . New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company, 1958 ( archive.org [accessed July 19, 2019]).
- ↑ 12 Angry Men (1957) - IMDb. Retrieved July 19, 2019 .
- ↑ 12 Angry Men (1957) - IMDb. Retrieved July 19, 2019 .
- ^ Frank R. Cunningham: Sidney Lumet: Film and Literary Vision . University Press of Kentucky, 2015, ISBN 978-0-8131-5826-6 ( google.de [accessed July 19, 2019]).
- ↑ Thomas Bräutigam : Lexicon of film and television synchronization . More than 2000 films and series with their German voice actors etc. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-289-X , p. 411 .
- ↑ The Twelve Jurors ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Entry in Arne Kaul's synchronous database; Retrieved September 15, 2007
- ↑ The twelve jurors in the Hörfilm database of Hörfilm e. V.
- ^ Media History Digital Library: Variety (December 1958) . New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company, 1958 ( archive.org [accessed July 19, 2019]).
- ↑ 12 Angry Men (1957) - IMDb. Retrieved July 19, 2019 .
- ↑ The 25 greatest legal movies. www.abajournal.com, 2018, accessed on September 2, 2018 (English).
- ↑ IMDb Top Rated Movies. Retrieved May 14, 2019 .
- ↑ The Twelve Jurors (USA) . In: Der Spiegel , August 21, 1957. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ^ Adolf Heinzlmeier , Berndt Schulz : Lexicon "Films on TV" . Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3 , p. 971 (extended new edition).
- ↑ Roger Ebert: 12 Angry Men (1957). In: rogerebert.com. September 29, 2002, accessed on August 14, 2012 (English): “This is a film where tension comes from personality conflict, dialogue and body language, not action; [...] where logic, emotion and prejudice struggle to control the field. "
