12 Angry Men (4K UHD Review)
Director
Sidney LumetRelease Date(s)
1957 (September 8, 2026)Studio(s)
Orion-Nova Productions/United Artists (The Criterion Collection – Spine #591)- Film/Program Grade: A+
- Video Grade: A+
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: A
Review
12 Angry Men was released in 1957 by United Artists to very good acclaim but lackluster box office success. Since its release, it has been lauded as one of the best films of not just the era it was released in, but any era. It was the directorial debut of Sidney Lumet and stars a who’s who of acting talent, including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Ed Begley, Martin Balsam, and many others. Originally produced for TV by screenwriter Reginald Rose and brought to the big screen by Lumet and Fonda, it’s not technically a courtroom drama, but more about what goes on inside the jury room when a young man is on trial for murder and it’s up to twelve men to decide beyond a reasonable doubt whether or not he should be convicted.
Once deliberations are under way, the hot day and lack of air conditioning combined with the men of the jury arguing with each other about the guilt or innocence of the young man in question makes for some of the most captivating drama you could possibly ask for. Part of the film’s success is due to the cinematography of Boris Kaufman, who also lensed On the Waterfront and The Fugitive Kind, among other works. As the jury begins their work, there are a lot of wide angles and very few close-ups, and the pace is very lax. As the film moves on and things start to heat up, more and more close-ups are used, the editing becomes tighter, and the angles drop below the actors. In other words, you’re sucked in by the drama and the performances, but it’s the quality of the cinematography (as well as the editing of Carl Lerner) that keeps the film visually captivating, which is no small feat for a story set in one room for the majority of its running time.
12 Angry Men takes the simple notion that one man isn’t certain about another man’s innocence or guilt, and persuades his fellow jurors over the course of 95 minutes to his way of thinking, highlighting the flaws and strengths in each of them, including personal prejudices and not taking the process as seriously as they should. Sidney Lumet’s direction, Reginald Rose’s screenplay, Kaufman’s cinematography, and the performances from all involved draw one in like few films ever have, or will. Other versions have been made, including William Friedkin’s TV version from 1997 that also has its strong points, but the original film is not just effective, but a masterpiece.
12 Angry Men was shot by director of photography Boris Kaufman on 35mm black-and-white film with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and framed theatrically at the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Criterion Collection brings the film to Ultra HD for a second time with a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative in an open matte aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The results have been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded by Duplitech to a dual-layered BD-66 disc. It’s also worth noting that this presentation opens with the modern Amazon MGM Studios logo and not the vintage United Artists logo featured on the disc previously released by Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Right up front, there are clear distinctions between Kino’s and Criterion’s UHD masters. I gave Kino’s master the highest of marks, and I’m going to do the same for Criterion’s, but the differences are a matter of degrees, or personal preference. I honestly believe that the Criterion disc looks ever-so-slightly better, but it’s also not in the original aspect ratio, nor does it open with the United Artists logo. But there are improvements when it comes to encoding and HDR. Bitrates can often be similar, and while the Criterion disc does take a downgrade when it comes to disc size, we must also factor in that a quarter or more of the screen is black throughout, and there are no extras on the disc at all. Therefore, it uses its encoding to its advantage, with similarly-refined grain structures and high levels of detail. The HDR on the Criterion release is a little darker and more even-keeled when it comes to grayscale. In other words, contrast is slightly improved here. To my eyes, the Criterion release is also a little cleaner and more stable, though not by much. The Kino disc was already pretty clean to begin with. After comparing both, I’d say it’s a draw. Both presentations have their pros and cons, and you must decide for yourself if you need to own both versions in different aspect ratios. For many, the extras are going to be the catch here, and we’ll get to those soon.
Audio is included in English mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. Criterion has also done some restoration work on the audio, and it does make some improvements over Kino’s 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue is more crisp and the overall track is better balanced, with particularly fine support for Kenyon Hopkins’ minor amount of score. Both the DTS and LPCM tracks are solid, but I think I lean more towards the latter as a preference point. In a perfect world, we’d have two UHD discs with both audio options (and aspect ratios) for each.
The Criterion Collection’s 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of 12 Angry Men sits in a clear Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray containing their previous master, an insert featuring artwork by Sean Phillips, and a 24-page booklet containing cast and crew information, the essay Lumet’s Faces by Thane Rosenbaum, restoration information, special thanks, acknowledgments, and production credits. The following extras are included on the Blu-ray only:
- The Television Version:
- Twelve Angry Men (SD – 50:42)
- Introduction by Ron Simon (HD – 14:04)
- 12 Angry Men: From TV to the Big Screen (HD – 25:33)
- Sidney Lumet:
- Lumet on Lumet (HD and Upscaled SD – 22:58)
- Reflections on Sidney (HD – 9:28)
- On Reginald Rose:
- On Reginald Rose (HD – 14:59)
- Tragedy in a Temporary Town (SD – 55:11)
- On Boris Kaufman:
- John Bailey on Boris Kaufman (HD – 38:21)
- Trailer (HD – 2:15)
First up is the great live television version of Twelve Angry Men that aired on CBS on September 20, 1954 (though Criterion notes that it was the 26th) as part of the Westinghouse Presents Studio One series, featuring an extended introduction and examination of the show by curator at the Paley Center for Media, Ron Simon. Directed by Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes, Patton, Nicholas and Alexandra), the cast features Robert Cummings, Franchot Tone, Edward Arnold, Paul Hartman, John Beal, Walter Abel, George Voskovec, Joseph Sweeney, Bart Burns, Norman Fell, Lee Phillips, Larkin Ford, and Vincent Gardenia.
12 Angry Men: From TV to the Big Screen features a 2011 interview with film scholar Vance Kepley of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, who delves into how the film was transformed for a teleplay into a feature film.
Lumet on Lumet is a very well-edited compilation of interviews with Sidney Lumet, discussing his earliest days, making his way to television and learning to be incredibly prepared and organized as a result, and his work on 12 Angry Men. Reflections on Sidney features an interview with screenwriter Walter Bernstein about working with Lumet, their subsequent friendship, and his dealings with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
On Reginald Rose features Ron Simon once again, examining the career of screenwriter Reginald Rose and what informed his screenplays. Tragedy in a Temporary Town is a teleplay also written by Rose and directed by Lumet, which aired on NBC on February 19, 1956 as part of The Alcoa Hour. The cast features Edward Binns, Lloyd Bridges, Rafael Campos, Robert Dryden, Robert Emhardt, Pete Gumeny, Donald Harron, Betty Lou Keim, Will Kuluva, Vivian Nathan, Milton Selzer, Clifford Tatum Jr., Jack Warden, and Jane White.
On Boris Kaufman features an interview with cinematographer John Bailey who delves into the work of the cinematographer on 12 Angry Men, speaking about his personal history, as well as his filmography. Last is the original theatrical trailer for 12 Angry Men.
Not carried over from the 2023 UHD release by Kino Lorber Studio Classics are separate audio commentaries with writers and film historians Gary Gerani and Drew Casper; the 1997 version of 12 Angry Men directed by William Friedkin; the featurettes Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making 12 Angry Men and Inside the Jury Room; and the VHS release trailer for the 1997 version of 12 Angry Men.
12 Angry Men might have been overlooked at the time of its release, but it’s lasted just as long as its contemporaries thanks to its quality, both in front of and behind the camera. Criterion’s UHD upgrade has some clear differences, and if you own Kino’s release and you’re thinking of adding this one to your shelf as well, I’d suggest hanging on to both for all of reasons I previously stated. As such, this release, as well as the previous one, come very highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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