12 (2007)

Twelve jurors must decide the fate of a Chechen adolescent charged with murdering his stepfather.

Director:

Nikita Mikhalkov

Writers:

Nikita Mikhalkov, Aleksandr Novototskiy-Vlasov

Stars:

Sergey Makovetskiy, Sergey Garmash, Apti Magamaev

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sergey Makovetskiy	...	1-y prisyazhnyy
Nikita Mikhalkov	...	2-y prisyazhnyy
Sergey Garmash	...	3-y prisyazhnyy
Valentin Gaft	...	4-y prisyazhnyy
Aleksey Petrenko	...	5-y prisyazhnyy
Yuriy Stoyanov	...	6-y prisyazhnyy
Sergey Gazarov	...	7-y prisyazhnyy
Mikhail Efremov	...	8-y prisyazhnyy
Aleksey Gorbunov	...	9-y prisyazhnyy
Sergey Artsibashev	...	10-y prisyazhnyy
Viktor Verzhbitskiy	...	11-y prisyazhnyy
Roman Madyanov	...	12-y prisyazhnyy
Aleksandr Adabashyan	...	Pristav
Apti Magamaev	...	Malchik
Abdi Magamaev	...	Malenkiy chechenets

Storyline

A loose remake of 12 Angry Men (1957), set in a Russian school. 12 jurors are struggling to decide the fate of a Chechen teenager who allegedly killed his Russian stepfather who took the teenager to live with him in Moscow during the Chechen War in which teenager lost his parents. The jurors: a racist taxi-driver, a suspicious doctor, a vacillating TV producer, a Holocaust survivor, a flamboyant musician, a cemetery manager, and others represent the fragmented society of modern day Russia. A stray bird (a touch of New Age cinema) is flying above the jurors' heads, alluding to tolerance.

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Plot Keywords:

stepfather | bird | chechen war | school | russia | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violent images, disturbing content, thematic material, brief sexual and drug references, and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Kinovista [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian Chechen

Release Date:

20 September 2007 (Russia)

Also Known As:

12 razgnevannyh muzhchin

Filming Locations:

Mosfilm Studios, Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,042, 8 March 2009

Gross USA:

$125,120

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,537,453

Company Credits

Production Co:

Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography, Studio Trite, Three T Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

159 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sergey Garmash dreamed to participate in any Nikita Mikhalkov's movie for a long time. He literally begged the director to give him a role in his movie. One morning Mikhalkov called him and asked "Do you go to church". Garmash said "Yes". Mikhalkov then asked "Do you pray a lot?". Garmash said "Yes". Mikhalkov then said "Your prayers have been heard! The script is on the way".

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Goofs

"Ernest Emerson" is a manufacturer of knives from the USA. However their model, CQC7, is not like the knife on the film. Emerson knives are folding knives.

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Quotes

2-y prisyazhnyy: So, we're voting on whether the defendant is guilty. Hands up, please.

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Connections

References Yojimbo (1961)

User Reviews

An encouraging thoughts film

A remake of a famous praised film is always a high-risk project, because a director takes risks to lapse into blind imitation. Fortunately Mikhalkov has enough talent and experience to rethink "12 Angry Men" by Sidney Lumet, to pass it through his own identity and produce an absolutely new and fresh film. This thought-provoking film surpassed all my expectations. Though it is a remake of an American movie, its plot is rooted in Russian reality. It reflects a lot of society's ills and nation's fears. I was deeply moved and fully satisfied with totally naturalistic dialogues. To my mind all-star cast played with miraculous virtuosity. The characters are true to life and I am sure that any Russian will be able to recognize himself in one of these 12 men. "12" is a stunning and intense drama with a large pool of talented actors, which leaves a lasting impression with you.