I'm supposed to interpret "12 Angry Men" in a touring show on Thursday. We won't be able to see the play until Tuesday, so I rented the original movie with Henry Fonda, Jack Klugman and a couple of other guys I can't remember.
To be honest, I was DREADING the movie. Even if I like the play, I often don't really groove to old movies. It's one of my darkest secrests (is that good or bad??) - I don't like old classic black and white movies. Some of them are all right, but I don't even want to watch them unless someone MAKES me do it.
I remember some movies from when I was a kid, but mostly, I remember watching color movies on TV when I was a kid. Even color doesn't really do it for me - I just don't automatically like a movie because it is old. I've never seen "Casablanca" or "On the Waterfront" or "From Here to Eternity" or "Citizen Kane". I've only seen a few Hitchcock movies and I didn't love them.
Anyway, "12 Angry Men" wasn't bad. One of the things I hate about old movies is how overwrought they are...the women are total washrags or too stupid to be believed and everything is often totally over the top. There are a few exceptions - "The Wizard of Oz", "To Kill a Mockingbird", but generally speaking, I just don't want to watch.
This movie was very understated in many ways. I read that they filmed the whole thing in a tiny Jury Room, so I'm sure the actors had the sense of being trapped together until they came to some kind of agreement. It made for some realism.
Anyway, I'm glad I watched it. It gave me a good feeling for what I should expect on Tuesday. It won't be a hard show to interpret. The hardest part is that John-boy is playing the lead role. Richard...Thomas? I can't remember... I never liked "The Waltons" either.
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