TOULOUSE
Synopsis:
A microcosm of America in a tiny, sweltering room. Suddenly, a hand goes up. The eighth juror has doubts about the defendant’s guilt. In the jury room, the trial is replayed. A timeless classic. Unity of time, unity of place. An oppressive atmosphere and a sense of claustrophobia constantly heightened by Lumet’s masterful direction. A film of sweat and struggle that makes a case for a more egalitarian justice system. Worth watching again and again, if only for Henry Fonda’s performance as an ordinary citizen, standing alone against the odds.
Sidney Lumet, 1957. USA. 95 mins. B&W. DCP. Original version with French subtitles.