From Mr. Thompson:

How do you make twelve strangers arguing in a tiny room interesting for ninety minutes? That was the challenge faced by first time director Sidney Lumet in making '12 Angry Men,' wherein twelve jurors debate about whether or not to convict a young man charged with murder.  However, Lumet and the DP* used different lenses, angles, and other elements of cinematography to heighten tension and psychological subtext throughout the film. In fact, the camera moves in such a way that it's almost like another character in the film - a thirteenth juror, if you will, silently moving around with the characters and watching them. And as the tension heightens in the film, the camera begins to look at the characters in a different way. Cinematography is intrinsically linked to mise-en-scène, and as we watch the film, hopefully you'll notice that exceptional mise-en-scène as the camera frequently moves to reframe the characters and the setting.

This is one of my favorite films to show students because they're always skeptical of it based on the premise. I mean, the movie is exactly what the title says it is. Yet after they watch it, it's usually one of the favorites for the entire course. I think part of the reason for that is that this is a film that shows you just what the medium of film is capable of. This will also be your first introduction to one of my favorite directors, Sidney Lumet. If you pay attention, you'll notice how he expertly guides your attention through blocking (actor movement) and camera movement. When two years ago, I told students we were going to watch a WWII military prison drama, their spines all turned to jelly... until I told them that Sidney Lumet directed it. Immediately, they perked right up and 'The Hill' became one of their favorite films that year. The point is, Sidney Lumet is very, VERY good.

Enjoy Sidney Lumet's claustrophobic 1957 masterpiece, '12 Angry Men.'

*DP is an abbreviation for "Director of Photography," which is just a more official title for the cinematographer. Now when you see "Director of Photography" in the opening credits of a movie, you'll know what it means!