Judging the Jury: The Camera, Claustrophobia and Problems of Perspective in 12 Angry Men

Film as Text. 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957) has been called an example of postwar psychological realism, examining the importance of the individual in standing against conformist attitudes, particularly in an era of Cold War and McCarthyist suspicion. The film encouraged its audience to be willing to think openly, critically and compassionately, even in the face of overwhelming opposition and hostility.