Timeless

I’m a big Harry Potter fan. One need only look at my various social media profiles and see that I’m using the same Potterfied image of myself as my avatar across all of them or listen to me recite the lines of Harry, word for word, in sync with the lead actor’s mouth, while watching Prisoner Of Azkaban on mute to be convinced that I am. My devotion to the franchise, however, certainly doesn’t stop there. I also am deeply interested in the people who worked behind the scenes and pages of this phenomenon. For instance, did you know that J. K. Rowling started writing at the age of five and her first story was about a rabbit named Rabbit? It could very well be the reason why Luna Lovegood’s patronus is in the form of a rabbit. And did you know that Daniel Radcliffe’s favorite movie is the 1957 drama, 12 Angry Men? It could very well be the reason why I gave the movie a try. And boy was I spellbound.

Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet, who was also at the helm of Dog Day Afternoon, 12 Angry Men is about, you guessed it, 12 angry men. These men make up a jury tasked to decide the conviction or acquittal of a boy accused of murdering his own father. For the jury to arrive at a final decision, they must have a unanimous verdict. All twelve vote “guilty.” The end. But wait, don’t fade to black just yet, you say. Where’s the angry part, you ask. Why of course it doesn’t end that way. All twelve vote “guilty”—except for one. What then ensues is a series of tight shots and rapid exchanges of arguments among the jurors as they discuss the case further. One by one the other men change their initial votes. Finding out the circumstances under which each was compelled to eventually vote “not guilty,” and at the same time appreciating the fact that 99% of the scenes take place inside the jury room, there lies the beauty of this classic film.

If only I had a Time Turner, I’d go back to the ’50s, enter a theater in Hollywood and watch this mad movie in all its widescreen black and white glory.