The Verdict

The Verdict (Sidney Lumet, 1982)

A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.

About ten years ago, or so, I saw Dog Day Afternoon Sidney Lumet’s near masterpiece that stars a young and once brilliant Al Pacino. As a director, Lumet is very talented and subtle. In my book of directors he is one of the most constant and underrated moviemaker of the American Cinema. Teaming with very talented screenwriter David Mamet and lead man Paul Newman, Lumet’s offers us with The Verdict more than just a simple courtroom drama. 

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957)

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

The first feature film directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, The Verdict) is one of the greatest huis clos dramas to ever be put on film. Starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, and eight other angry men. They are the twelve jurors who need to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or not of murder on his father. They are in the jury room for almost the entire film and the evolution of their decision is the center of the story. Adapted from a play by Reginald Rose, 12 Angry Men is a masterpiece of mise en scène and pacing.

At first, Fonda’s character is laid back and studies the opinions and reactions of his peers. But when he decides to get into the action he mesmerizes them one by one. This is not only a meditation on American justice, but also a human laboratory on human forces of power and influence on opinions.

It also works where Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat film fails to be the perfect huis clos, the tension and the interactions between the characters is never slowed down for a plot detail or a camera setup. Lumet’s sober mise en scène becomes the best tool he has to tell this risky story. However, he masters it like the great storyteller he is. Just look at his film Network to understand how he knows to bring controversial material to the big screen without falling into the easiness of his subjects. 

The late American critic Andrew Sarris in his book The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968  labelled Sidney Lumet in the category Strained Seriousness. It represents “talented but uneven directors with the mortal sin of pretentiousness. Their ambitious projects tend to inflate rather than expound.” What works with 12 Angry Men, is the fact that it is an ambitious project made with honest and very humble means.

All in all, 12 Angry Men might be Lumet’s masterpiece: a film that still holds its guard more than fifty years after it was made is the sign of real talent. Plus, it is a movie that has a great entertainment value and a keen story. Highly recommended.

Network un film de Sidney Lumet - Retrospective

TSPDT Greatest Films #324 Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976)


Going on with his analysis of the effects of television on the world, Sidney Lumey after what I consider a near masterpiece; Dog Day Afternoon, offers this time with Network the other side of the subject; the television's side of the subject. Without any technical extravaganza like many of hs colleagues of the 70's Lumet shot his films like documentaries. They feel true.

This is the story of Howard Beal (Peter Finch) considered like a "has-been" of television, his show is in complete downfall in the numbers as his popularity. One day the announces he's gonna kill himself on air. The day after he's not doing it but he claims that he has enough and he wants changes. At this point his shiow began the bet thing on television because he's true to the viewers and he's like the "prophet" of telelvision. He speaks for the middle class american that has enough of the hypocrites that lead the world.

With a solid cast of Faye Dunaway (who won an Oscar for her performance), Peter Finch (he won an Oscar too), William Holden and Robert Duval.

The film is based on religious grounds because Lumet translated religion to television in his film. They just needed the right lead to carry their speach. Many dialogues referenced religius concerns. Made in 1976, Network is still carrying a message that should be listened. Television is the tool to endoctrinate people and sell any stupid product like the "Slap Chop". Everybody is glued every evenings on their chairs in front of their television sets like believers. All the stores always offers bigger screens, better, thinner etc. for the living room so that all the furniture will be pointed at the new idol...

Well, I'm one of them and you probably are too because you watch films/sports/series on your tv set. Television is the new religion, so Sidney Lumet said. This is a strong cinematic effort from this excellent filmmaker.

A Film Retrospective by Michaël Parent