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Criterion just made my day! The Criterion Collection, featuring classy, feature-loaded, remastered DVDs and Blu-rays of some of the world’s greatest films, will release 12 Angry Men in a brand new edition in May. It features a new high-definition digital restoration and includes a new interview with screenwriter Walter Bernstein who talks about director Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men is one of my favourite films. Heck, it might actually be my FAVOURITE. So it is wonderful to hear that Criterion, so often the go-to home video distributor for definitive versions of cult classics and critically acclaimed films, will release a newly remastered version on Blu-ray. The film will be presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio alongside an uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Described as one of the most radical courtroom dramas in cinema history, 12 Angry Men is both simple and complex. Its simplicity stems from its single location (the jury room and an adjacent bathroom) where 12 members of the all-male, all-white jury debate the potential guilt of a Puerto Rican murder suspect.
The wonderful complexity of the drama comes from a single dissenting voice, the one man on the jury who simply says he’s not sure. Some are positive of the accused teen’s guilt, some just want to get home, some are perhaps swayed by prejudice. But one man stands up against the consensus, his admirable sense of humanity driving his need to exact the right sort of justice by getting a life or death decision correct.
What transpires is one of the best films ever made, let alone the greatest courtroom-inspired screen drama. What’s staggering is that this was director Sidney Lumet’s feature film debut! He would of course go on to make other classics such as Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict, Serpico and Network.
The Criterion Collection’s presentation of 12 Angry Men on Blu-ray arrives May 15.
Discover More: Top 10 Sidney Lumet Films | “Network” Is Still Mad As Hell
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