According to film historian Bowles, Lumet succeeded in becoming a leading drama filmmaker partly because "his most important criterion is not whether the actions of his protagonists are right or wrong, but whether their actions are genuine."
Prema povjesničaru filma Bowlesu, Lumet je uspio postati vodeći dramski redatelj djelomično zato što "njegov najvažniji kriterij pri režiranju nije jesu li postupci njegovih protagonista ispravni ili ne, nego jesu li njihovi postupci nepatvoreni."