12: Russian remake of Twelve Angry Men
The fifty-year-old American classic ‘Twelve Angry Men’ inspires the movie 12. The American film is truly a masterpiece that sets as an example of American filmmaking. That is not to say 12, which is a Russian version is not powerful; though you cannot term this as a remake. The director of 12 Nikita Mikhalkov successfully makes a superb movie in spite of getting inspired with another great movie of all times.
Film: 12
Cast: Sergey Makovetsky, Nikita Mikhalkov, Sergey Garmash, Alexey Petrenko, Yuri Stoyanov, Sergey Gazarov, Mikhail Efremov, Valentin Gaft, Alexey Gorbunov, Sergey Artsybashev, Victor Verzhbitsky, Roman Madianov, Alexander Adabashian, Apti Magamaev
Director: Nikita Mikhalkov
Writers: Nikita Mikhalkov, Vladimir Moiseenko and Alexander Novototsky-Vlasov based on Reginald Rose’s script.
Running Time: 2 hours 33 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5
The film 12 discloses a new dimension in the jury verdict where one of the members is not angry like the others but he is more worried.
The story is about a dozen jury members who are boiling with exhaustion and eager to get back home soon. It is preconceived that the young man accused of murder is guilty of the crime. And the voting results show that eleven members vote for conviction while one member is against. This leads to lengthy arguments and the fundamentals of justice are challenged.
Reginald Rose wrote the actual screenplay for the CBS drama showcase ‘Studio One’ in 1954 and was featured live. And Russia got its hand on this film at the right time. The original movie glorified the right to a fair trial where as the Russian film is released at a time when their jury system has emerged after a trail of Communist party show trials.
The accused is a young chap from Moscow is new in town and the film shows hostility for the Chechens and also touches upon anti-Semitism. And the jurors are thinking about instant millionaires of Russia when the land is actually poverty-stricken.
None of the jury member is identified with a name, though the director plays the role of a jury foreman. Eventually each of the jury members narrates a story or unfolds a secret. The fellow jurors are influenced to reconsider their decision to vote for conviction. None of the jury member is weak in character and their powerful role does not drift you to boredom in a 2 ½ long movie.
The jury members are forever in the a school gymnasium that is next to the court room but their stories are intricately performed that the audience will start imagining the settings and it actually feels like play aired on the radio.
There is a superbly shot scene by camera person Lumet when a sparrow flies on the window and is chirping constantly, which is symbolic of the jury’s plight. Along with the director he has done a splendid job and used the camera remarkably following the jurors as they walk around the courtroom.
People who have already seen the American film will know the story as to how it will unfold and also know what will be the ending. The director Mikhalkov has retained all that and Reginald Rose occupies a place in the credits. Mikhalkov has done a commendable job in his own style with real characters and stories and the movie does not make you think about the climax but you will appreciate the way it leads to the end.
The film 12 (one room a dozen men) is rated as PG-13 because of the violent images, sex and drug referencing, smoking and disturbing content.
