“12 Angry Men broadcast live in 1954” by CBS-TV is an iconic drama with outstanding filmmaking. The film takes place in a couple of minutes in a single room, whereby the twelve players perform a heated dialogue performance to solve a murder case. In part of the courtroom a camera is used to identify the murder. The film production excellently shows cinematographic prowess in crafting the gradually boiling atmosphere. Therefore, this paper will explore the aspect of photography and mise-en-scene in the 12 Angry Men play.
Photography is the application, art and practice of creating magnificent images by light with a camera. Typically, in the video, the camera is limited to capture the different scenes. Hence, the film is taken close to the characters, and thus, the photos effectively capture expressions and reactions (Cantabrigidian, 1:00-4:00). As seen in the video, most shots were primarily aimed at capturing the men’s actions and reactions to one another. There is no scene where the camera was moved outside of the created space. Consequently, the camera positioning shows essential settings of the courtroom. At the opening of the clip, the long shots significantly introduce the sets as well as the characters.
Besides, there is the aspect of mise-en-scene in the film. Mis-en-scene describes everything that appears before the camera, encompassing the arrangement, actors lighting, and costumes. Mise-en-scene allows the producers to move the camera as per the characters’ dynamics, hence capturing the subtleness of characters, symbols, space, and costumes. The producers of the film were creative camera placement and blocking (Cantabrigidian, 7:00-12:00). Blocking enabled the story to flow; similarly, the shot sizes and camera angle became an object for showing the characters’ emotional states. The shots angle ranged from low, medium, wide, close-up and eye level, which became the significant indicators of guilt as the photos illuminated the high tension.
Works Cited
Cantabrigidian. “12 Angry Men – Original Live TV Version 1954.” YouTube, 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DkI2I0W5i8.
