’12 Angry Men’ (1957) 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – A Top-Tier Representation Of American Cinema

Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the twelve members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a solitary, sweltering room, one juror (Henry Fonda, The Ox-Bow Incident) casts considerable doubt on elements of the case. Personal issues soon rise to the surface, and conflict threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide one boy’s fate. In addition to Fonda (who also co-produced with writer Reginald Rose), the cast includes Lee J. Cobb as his main opposition; Ed Begley as a hateful bigot; E.G. Marshall as a cold, logical stockbroker; Jack Warden as a baseball fanatic and Jack Klugman as the disturbed blood-brother to the defendant. The feature directing debut of Sidney Lumet (Serpico, The Verdict), 12 Angry Men remains “one of the best pictures ever made” (The Hollywood Reporter), a searing examination of race, justice, family and morality.

For thoughts on 12 Angry Men (1957), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

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Video Quality

12 Angry Men (1957) appears on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of an absolutely fantastic new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative in 2160p/Dolby Vision that will leave film fans in heaven. The Criterion Collection previously released this film on Blu-Ray nearly 12 years ago with a really solid HD master struck from the 35mm fine-grain master positive, but this new presentation brings out an even greater level of clarity and stability that enhances the viewing experience. The Criterion release also presented the film in a 1.67:1 aspect ratio, whereas this new release goes with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. 

Kino continues their strong work in the 4K UHD space with another loving presentation for a classic. This is a very contained film, but the way in which the space is filmed brings out so much character that shines through with great clarity here. The shot composition and lighting are elegantly executed with this immaculate encode, making it the type of presentation that makes those who do not believe older films cannot benefit from a 4K UHD presentation look obtuse. Elements of the costumes and production design showcase a striking amount of textural detail. Numerous shots present with some excellent depth to the image which makes the setting feel more three dimensional.

The transfer pretty much eradicates any previous specks or print damage that showed up on past releases. This transfer retains the desired filmic quality of the picture with natural film grain resolving well to showcase rich details within the room. Grain always looks natural with nothing veering into noise or compression artifacts. The black and white cinematography has never looked better with steady gradients and subtle textures in the background. Black levels are pleasantly deep without any nuisances such as crush or banding, and highlights are dialed in to the perfect level. Kino Classics has knocked this one out of the park. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that captures this story pretty well. The all-important dialogue holds up admirably and comes through clearly even with all of the cross-talk. It is balanced well with the background noises so everything renders in harmony. From the beginning, the environmental effects are robust and fairly crisp, but this is not a soundscape that pushes things to the limits. The music does not exhibit much in the way of distortion and avoids most harsh or hollow moments along the way. You will also not find very much in the realm of age related wear and tear such as hissing and crackles, although there may be some light filtering applied. Kino Classics has done a fine job with the audio portion of the disc. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film. 

Special Features

Disc One (4K UHD Blu-Ray)

• Audio Commentary #1: Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani provides a deeply informative new commentary track in which he discusses how this film fits into the career of Sidney Lumet, how the aesthetic of the film serves the narrative, how it compares to other adaptations, the background of the performers, the music of the film, thematic analysis of the story, and so much more that provides some great context to the feature. 

• Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian Drew Casper provides an archival commentary track which provides much of the same information with some unique details as you learn about the production, the timeline of certain events and more. 

Disc Two (Blu-Ray – Special Features)

• 12 Angry Men (1997): The nearly two-hour television movie directed by William Friedkin and starring Jack Lemmon is provided here in high definition. This movie was previously released separately on Blu-Ray by Kino Classics, and the only major difference with this release is that it only includes the 1.78:1 Theatrical Ratio. The standalone Blu-Ray includes this aspect ratio and the 1.33:1 TV Ratio if you care to have both versions available. 

• Beyond A Reasonable Doubt – Making Of 12 Angry Men: A 23-minute archival featurette is provided here featuring various film historians, famous faces and performers from the movie discussing the origins of the film, the ensemble, the thematic resonance, the film’s legacy and more. 

• Inside The Jury Room: A nearly 16-minute piece which focuses on the courtroom aspect of the narrative, the history of the United States legal system, how the film goes against real-life legal practices and more. 

• Trailers: The two-minute trailer is provided for 12 Angry Men (1957). There are also trailers provided for 12 Angry Men (1997), Witness For The Prosecution, Sergeant Ryker, The Ox-Bow Incident, Daisy Kenyon, The Group and A Stranger Among Us.

Final Thoughts

12 Angry Men (1957) is one of the greatest movies ever made – full stop. This tale of morality and doubt is perfectly constructed to allow this group of performers deliver some of the finest work of their individual careers. The concept is so simple, but watching it play out is as riveting as anything you will see in any traditional thriller. Sidney Lumet set an almost impossible bar for himself when he delivered this debut directing effort, but having at least one cinematic masterpiece under your belt is a good problem to have. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a top tier A/V presentation and a solid assortment of new and archival special features. Any serious cinephile should have this one in their collection. Essential 

12 Angry Men (1957) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on April 18, 2023. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.