12 (2007 film)

Last updated
12
12 (2007 film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov
Screenplay byNikita Mikhalkov
Alexander Novototsky-Vlasov
Vladimir Moiseenko
Based on 12 Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
Twelve Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
Twelve Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
Produced byNikita Mikhalkov
Leonid Vereschtchaguine
Starring Sergei Makovetsky
Nikita Mikhalkov
Sergei Garmash
Valentin Gaft
Alexei Petrenko
Yuri Stoyanov
Cinematography Vladislav Opelyants
Edited byEnzo Meniconi
Andrei Zaytsev
Music by Eduard Artemyev
Distributed by TriTe
Release dates
  • 7 September 2007 (2007-09-07)(Venice)
  • 20 September 2007 (2007-09-20)
Running time
159 minutes
CountryRussia
Languages Russian, Chechen
Budget$2.5 million
Box office$7.5 million

12 is a 2007 Russian legal drama film by director, screenwriter, producer and actor Nikita Mikhalkov. The film is a Russian-language remake of Sidney Lumet's 1957 film 12 Angry Men , which in turn was based on Reginald Rose's 1955 stage play, Twelve Angry Men , itself based on Rose's 1954 teleplay of the latter's same name.

Contents

Mikhalkov was awarded the Special Lion at the 64th Venice International Film Festival for his work on the film, which also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. [1] It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

A 12-men jury decides whether a young Chechen boy is guilty of murdering his stepfather, a Russian military officer. Initially, it seems that the boy was the murderer. However, one of the jurors votes in favour of acquittal. Since the verdict must be rendered unanimously, the jurors review the case, and one by one come to the conclusion that the boy was framed. The murder was performed by criminals involved in the construction business. The discussion is repeatedly interrupted by flashbacks from the boy's wartime childhood.

In the end, the foreman states that he was sure the boy did not commit the crime, but he will not vote in favour of acquittal since the acquitted boy will be subsequently killed by the same criminals. Additionally, the foreman reveals that he is a former intelligence officer. After a brief argument, the foreman agrees to join the majority. Later, the foreman tells the boy that he will find the real murderers.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

The movie received generally positive critical opinion in Russia and abroad. 12 has an approval rating of 77% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 60 reviews, and an average rating of 6.88/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Loosely based on 1957's 12 Angry Men , Nikita Mikhalkov's superbly acted 12 is clever and gripping like its predecessor, but with a distinctly Russian feel". [2] It also has a score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [3]

Russian president Vladimir Putin together with the film crew, Chechnya's president Ramzan Kadyrov and Ingushetia's president Murat Zyazikov watched the film in Putin's residence in Novo-Ogarevo; after the screening Putin remarked that the film "brought a tear to the eye". [4] Opposition journalist Zoya Svetova labeled the film as pro-Putin, assuming that some of the characters are caricatures of Russian opposition politicians Valeriya Novodvorskaya and Mikhail Khodorkovsky as well as producer Dmitry Lesnevsky. [5]

Awards and nominations

12 received a special Golden Lion for the "consistent brilliance" of its work and was praised by many critics at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. The Venice jury defined the movie as "confirmation of his [Mikhalkov's] mastery in exploring and revealing to us, with great humanity and emotion, the complexity of existence". [1] It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>12 Angry Men</i> (1957 film) 1957 American film by Sidney Lumet

12 Angry Men is a 1957 American independent legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet in his directorial debut, adapted from a 1954 teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose. The film tells the story of a jury of 12 men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of a teenager charged with murder on the basis of reasonable doubt; disagreement and conflict among the jurors forces them to question their morals and values. It stars Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E. G. Marshall, and Jack Warden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Chechen War</span> 1999–2009 conflict in Chechnya and the North Caucasus

The Second Chechen War took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russian Federation and the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from August 1999 to April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Russian apartment bombings</span> Terrorist bombings in Russia

In September 1999, a series of explosions hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk, killing more than 300, injuring more than 1,000, and spreading a wave of fear across the country. The bombings, together with the Invasion of Dagestan, triggered the Second Chechen War. The handling of the crisis by Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time, boosted his popularity greatly and helped him attain the presidency within a few months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev</span> Chechen politician (1952–2004)

Zelimkhan Abdulmuslimovich Yandarbiyev was a writer and politician from Chechnya, who served as second president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria between 1996 and 1997. In 2004, Yandarbiyev was assassinated while he was on mission to recognize Chechnya’s right for independence in Qatar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramzan Kadyrov</span> Head of Chechen Republic since 2007

Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov is a Russian politician and current Head of the Chechen Republic. He was formerly affiliated with the Chechen independence movement, through his father who was the separatist-appointed mufti of Chechnya. He is a colonel general in the Russian military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikita Mikhalkov</span> Russian filmmaker and actor (born 1945)

Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov is a Russian filmmaker, actor, and head of the Russian Cinematographers' Union. Mikhalkov is a three-time laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation and is a Full Cavalier of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Politkovskaya</span> Russian journalist (1958–2006)

Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian investigative journalist who reported on political and social events in Russia, in particular, the Second Chechen War (1999–2005).

<i>House of Fools</i> (film) 2002 Russian film

House of Fools is a 2002 Russian film by Andrei Konchalovsky about psychiatric patients and combatants during the First Chechen War. It stars Julia Vysotskaya and Sultan Islamov and features a number of cameo appearances by Bryan Adams, with the music composed by Eduard Artemyev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadyrovites</span> Chechen paramilitary and protection unit

The 141st Special Motorized Regiment, also known as the Kadyrovites and the Akhmat special forces unit, is a paramilitary organization in Chechnya, Russia, that serves as the protection of the Head of the Chechen Republic. The term Kadyrovtsy is commonly used in Chechnya to refer to any armed, ethnically-Chechen men under the control of Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, although nominally they are under the umbrella of the National Guard of Russia. As of 2023, the regiment's official commander was Adam Delimkhanov, a close ally of Kadyrov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Anna Politkovskaya</span> 2006 murder in Moscow, Russia

On 7 October 2006, Russian journalist, writer and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow. She was known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and for criticism of Vladimir Putin. She authored several books about the Chechen wars, as well as Putin's Russia, and received several international awards for her work. Her murder, believed to be a contract killing, sparked a strong international reaction. Three Chechens were arrested for the murder, but were acquitted. The verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court of Russia and new trials were held. In total, six people were convicted of charges related to her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergei Yushenkov</span> Russian politician (1950–2003)

Sergei Nikolayevich Yushenkov was a liberal Russian politician. He was assassinated on 17 April 2003, just hours after registering his political party to participate in the December 2003 parliamentary elections.

<i>Close to Eden</i> 1991 Soviet Union film

Urga is a 1991 Russian adventure drama film by Russian director, screenwriter and producer Nikita Mikhalkov. It was released in North America as Close to Eden. It depicts the friendship between a Russian truck driver and a Mongolian shepherd in Inner Mongolia.

<i>12 Angry Men</i> (1997 film) 1997 television film directed by William Friedkin

12 Angry Men is a 1997 American made-for-television drama film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by Reginald Rose from his original 1954 teleplay of the same title. It is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. The film aired on August 17, 1997 on Showtime.

<i>Twelve Angry Men</i> (play) 1954 play by Reginald Rose

Twelve Angry Men is a play by Reginald Rose adapted from his 1954 teleplay of the same title for the CBS Studio One anthology television series. Staged first in San Francisco in 1955, the Broadway debut came 50 years after CBS aired the play, on October 28, 2004, by the Roundabout Theatre Company at the American Airlines Theatre, where it ran for 328 performances.

Events from the year 2003 in Russia.

Twelve Angry Men is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a film of the same name, directed by Sidney Lumet, and released in 1957. Since then it has been given numerous remakes, adaptations, and tributes.

"Twelve Angry Men" is a 1954 teleplay directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and written by Reginald Rose for the American anthology television series Studio One. It follows the titular twelve members of a jury as they deliberate a supposedly clear-cut murder trial, and details the tension among them when one juror argues that the defendant might not be guilty. Initially staged as a CBS live production on September 20, 1954, the drama was later rewritten for the stage in 1955 under the same title, and as a feature film in 1957 titled 12 Angry Men. The episode garnered three Emmy Awards for writer Rose, director Schaffner, and Robert Cummings as Best Actor.

<i>An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano</i> 1977 Soviet Union film

An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano is a 1977 Soviet drama film directed by Nikita Mikhalkov, who also co-stars. It is based on Anton Chekhov's Platonov, as well as several of his other short stories. It was filmed at Pushchino-Na-Oke, Pushchino, Russia, which was dilapidated in the film and is now abandoned.

References

  1. 1 2 "Official Awards at the 64th Venice Film Festival". www.labiennale.org. Archived from the original on 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  2. "12 (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  3. "12 (2007)". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  4. Isayev, Ruslan (2007-11-06). "Mikhalkov's film "12" screened in Moscow and Chechnya". Prague Watchdog. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
  5. Svetova, Zoya (2007-10-19). "12 as Putin's apology" (in Russian). EJ.ru. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  6. "80th Academy Awards Nominations Announced" (Press release). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2008-01-22. Archived from the original on 27 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-22.