...12 Angry Men (1957), or Twelve Angry Men (1957), is the gripping, penetrating, and engrossing examination of a diverse group of twelve jurors (all male, mostly middle-aged, white, and generally of middle-class status) who are uncomfortably brought together to deliberate after hearing the 'facts' in a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial case. They retire to a jury room to do their civic duty and serve up a just verdict for the indigent minority defendant (with a criminal record) whose life is in the balance. The film is a powerful indictment, denouncement and expose of the trial by jury system. The frightened, teenaged defendant is on trial, as well as the jury and the American judicial system with its purported sense of infallibility, fairness and lack of bias. Alternatively, the slow-boiling film could also be viewed as commentary on McCarthyism, Fascism, or Communism (threatening forces in the 50s). One of the film's posters described how the workings of the judicial process can be disastrous: "LIFE IS IN THEIR HANDS - DEATH IS ON THEIR MINDS! It EXPLODES Like 12 Sticks of Dynamite." This was live television-trained director Sidney Lumet's first feature film - a low-budget ($350,000) film shot in only 17 days from a screenplay by Reginald Rose, who based his script on his own teleplay of the same name. After the initial airing of the TV play in early 1954 on Studio One CBS-TV, co-producer/star Henry Fonda asked Rose in 1956 if the teleplay could be expanded to feature-film...
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...12 Angry Men (1957) Favourite Role: My favourite casts in 12 Angry Men was Juror 8, who was played by Henry Fonda. He is one brave juror who voted 'not guilty' at the start of the deliberations because of his reasonable doubt. His role was firm and persuasive, he forces the other men to slowly reconsider and review the shaky murder case and eyewitness testimony against the endangered defendant. Favourite Scene: My favourite scene was when Juror 4 do not believe the boy’s alibi that he was at the movies while the murder was taking place as the boy could not remember the title of the movie and the actors in it. Then, Juror 8 stated that it was due to the boy being devastated that the father was murdered that caused him to forget. Next, Juror 8 did a test on Juror 4 on the events that happened on previous days and he had difficulty doing so. Juror 8 then said that Juror 4 had no reason to face difficulty as he had not been under stress unlike the boy. Typical scene: The typical scene that got me engaged was the debate and the sharing of thoughts and opinion of the information. The Juror made the audience felt intense when they were arguing over the evidence and them displaying their thoughts is what makes it interesting. Typical character: I felt that the casts were able to portray their own personalities which allowed the audience to have their own judgment based on their characters. In the film, we can see that; Juror 4 who is disrespectful, stubborn and...
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...Definition Communication climateis the relative acceptance or rejection a group member feels based on the social and psychological tone of the relationships established among group members Two types of climate 1. In a supportive communication climate, group members feel their contributions are welcomed and valued 2.In a defensive communication climate, group members feel their contributions are neither welcomed nor valued For a group to establish a supportive communicationclimate, group members essentially must maximize their use of the six dimensions that promote a supportive communication climate and minimize their use of the six dimensions that promote a defensive communication climate 1. Description and evaluation focus on how group members take ownership of their verbal and nonverbal expressions Supportive: Descriptiondescribes her feelings and presents her viewpoints as her own Defensive: Evaluationpasses judgment, assigns blame, and interrogates group members 2. Problem orientation and control deal with how group members approach task accomplishment Supportive: Problem orientationfocuses on collaborating with group members by seeking a mutually defined and acceptable solution Defensive: Controlimposes a point of view on group members 3. Spontaneity and strategy center on the degree of openness that exists among group members Supportive: Spontaneityopenly expresses thoughts, feelings, or emotions upfront Defensive: Strategyshares thoughts, feelings...
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...Twelve Angry Men has lots of different characters in the story. Each character has a very unique costume that goes along with their personality. The style and color go along with their mood and character. The character costumes that I will give in depth details are the the 3rd juror, the 4th juror, and the 10th juror. The 3rd juror is the antagonist of the story. He believes that the boy is guilty no matter what and is not even willing to listen to both sides of the argument as well. In the story he is a businessman. He proudly states in the story that he started his business from nothing and ended up employing 34 people to his business. It is also revealed that he has a very bad relationship with his son. He thinks that the boy is guilty only because his son supposedly tried to kill him. He was also the last juror to change his mind to innocent, which in the end it shows he redeemed himself and started to become a better person. All of these details were shown to show the character of the 3rd character and why this character should get a black suit. Black is associated with evil, which this man in the story is probably the closest to evil. The man would also have very slick hair, giving him a very sharp and corrupt look. If big...
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...In the movie 12 Angry Men, twelve jurors are set to decide whether or not an eighteen year old boy should be served the death penalty. The men came into the room thinking that it was an obvious case. All of the men but one decided on voting guilty. Since there was one outcast, the group had no other choice but to listen to the individual’s opinions on why he believed the boy was not guilty. The visual was executed through different types of communications. There were different needs of control which allowed the gentlemen to gain a self-understanding and insight into each other. Also, the group was able to communicate in an organized manner by being interactional. Group communication was used in the movie because the subject was being spoken...
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...The world is very messed up today. Most newspapers and magazines are twisting the truth, writing the facts in a way that supports their point. Many people today don’t know how to find the truth, and so fall for the biased more likely twisted information written by the media. How do we separate the truth from the bias? The 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose is about 12 jurors who are deciding on if a boy who murdered his father is guilty or not. The jurors work hard in trying to find the truth, and in the process of examining the testimonies, someone is threatened and tempers flare. By examining Juror Eight’s questioning about the evidence, Juror Four’s open mindedness, and Juror Three and Juror Ten’s violent manners, we can clearly understand how...
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...The main theme of the play Twelve Angry Men is given to the readers directly from Juror number 9 and Juror number 2, "It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone". Reginald Rose focuses his central message on the importance of standing up for what is right, even if tt means standing alone. For instance, Rose does not provide many details about the night that the crime was commited in. He only gives his readers limited facts on the crime, such as the knife that was used by the murder, the time of day that the crime was commited and some background of the suspect. This allows the readers to focus their attention on Juror numbe 8, as he stands alone, convincing the the others on doing whats right. In addition, Rose does not end Act...
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...The play 'Twelve Furious Men' by Reginald Rose contains numerous components that look at the usage of the American equity framework in 1957 and help shape the consultations of the case. Maybe the most critical component is the relationship. The most relationship. The play was roused by Rose's experience of jury administration The 12 "Irate Men" are the people that make up a trial jury for the reasons of listening to a lawful case and translating the certainties, lastly coming back with a decision of either liable or not blameworthy for the charged. The primary jury was comprised of neighborhood individuals why should expected know the respondent Members of the jury were to "say reality" (these days it is called "thinking toward a decision") By the fourteenth Century, the part of the jury at long last turned into that of judgment by confirmation By the fifteenth Century, trial by jury turned into the overwhelming method of determining legitimate issues, and it was not until hundreds of years after the fact that the jury accepted a more advanced part of settling on certainties on that which is heard in a court of law....
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...How would you feel if you knew that one decision you make could decide someone’s fate? How would you make sure you make the right, just decision? How could you decide knowing you could end the life of an innocent victim or let a murderer go free? In the motion picture drama, 12 Angry Men, directed by Sidney Lumet, twelve men are given this responsibility of deciding a court case as the jury. The fate of the accused is in their hands. The twelve jurors who hold this power show their contradicting opinions and personalities early on, and are influential to the decision. In the beginning, the jury seems to have agreed that the boy is guilty, but Juror #8 stands alone in the 11 to 1 vote. He digs deeper into the evidence, bringing up points that prove possible innocence. This forces the jury to spend more time on...
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...If you were on death row, would you want a fair trial? Obviously, yes, I wouldn’t want anyone to die if there was reasonable doubt that they weren’t guilty. Reginald Rose’s purpose of writing twelve angry men was to show the pros and cons to the juror system and how effective it is. For example, in act three juror number five changed his vote to not guilty not because he believed that, but to have the trial finish quicker so he could get to his baseball game that he cared more about than a man’s life. Reading this part in the story, you can tell the ignorance of the character. The perfect example of how back then the jury system was ineffective. And to strike a question if it is still ineffective today. Within the last scene juror number...
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...My favorite character in the movie of Angry Men would be Juror 8. He is my favorite for always having a reasonable argument with screaming or insulting. For example, when they could putting down facts of the court down he would say his opinion and take the insults from them especially juror 3. Juror 8 would also show examples and really use his imagination to show and go deeper into the facts. There are many examples of him doing this, one would be when he reenacts the old man getting to the the stairs with him also dragging his foot and showing the small details. Juror 8 also says he could be wrong but says he has reasonable doubt about this murder. When ever they would ask him why he would always say it was because of reasonable doubt and...
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...Ans 6. “Prejudice always complicated the truth.” The movie 12 Angry Men, by means of several situational examples, reaffirms the fact. The first case in point is of the boy on trial who is born and brought up in slums. Many of the jury members, especially jurors 10, 7, 4 and 3 are heavily influenced by the prejudices they hold against children from the slums. In one of the scenes, juror 10, goes into a rage and explains why people from the slums cannot be trusted and calls them little better than animals who gleefully kill each other off for fun. Juror 4 had earlier pointed out that slums are breeding grounds for criminals and that these slum children are a threat to our society to which 10 adds that they are “real trash”. This is where juror 5 who himself has been born and brought up in slums interrupts and reveals about himself to which others try and convince him that it isn’t about him and that he should not be taking it personally. Juror 11 makes a point at this juncture and empathizes with juror 5 saying that he can understand his sensitivity about the slum issue. It is to be noticed hear that this juror 11 is Hispanic origin and himself had been a victim of such treatment out of held prejudices. One such instance comes in one of the movie scenes as well when juror 7 makes a remark on juror 11 and says “they” are all alike who come running for a life and before you can take a deep breath they get on your head and calls him arrogant. Towards the end juror 10 again makes...
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...A View of 12 Angry Men The movie 12 Angry Men is a snapshot of many of the changes going on in 1950’s- 60’s America. The movie begins by introducing the viewer to a, seemingly, open and shut case about a teenager from the slums murdering his father. It is revealed to us that it is the job of the twelve jurors who have heard the case to deliberate over all the evidence and return a, unanimous verdict to present to the judge. We quickly find out that all of the “evidence,” heard in the courtroom seems to be pointing squarely at the boy being guilty; and most of the jurors are happy to take the evidence at first glance clearly indicating the boy as the murderer. However it is when juror #8 protests: “that the jury should at least review the evidence,” before, for all intents and purposes, the boy is sentenced to the death penalty, when the men begin to be overcome by their prejudice towards the boy and his lifestyle. While the “villains,” such as juror 3 and juror 10,are quite obviously overwhelmed by their own strong feelings of prejudice; for many of the men it is a general prejudice toward the American Justice System which serves to blind them from the truth. They are supremely confident in the system working correctly every time, that they miss obvious mistakes and loose ends going on throughout the trial. With a few exceptions, it is the faith in the American System which contribute the original overwhelming feeling of prejudice in the room, all causing...
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...12 Angry Men Submitted by: Pam McDonald E-mail: Pam_McDonald@nifc.blm.gov Phone: 208-387-5318 Audience Rating: Not Rated Released: 1957 Studio: United Artists/MGM Genre: Drama Runtime: 95 minutes Materials: VCR or DVD, television or projection system, Wildland Fire Leadership Values and Principles handouts (single-sided), notepad, writing utensil Objective: Students will identify Wildland Fire Leadership Values and Principles illustrated within 12 Angry Men and discuss leadership lessons learned with group members or mentors. Basic Plot: The jury of twelve 'angry men,' entrusted with the power to send an uneducated, teenaged Puerto Rican, tenement-dwelling boy to the electric chair for killing his father with a switchblade knife, are literally locked into a small, claustrophobic rectangular room on a stifling hot summer day until they come up with a unanimous decision - either guilty or not guilty. The compelling, provocative film examines the twelve men's deep-seated personal prejudices, perceptual biases and weaknesses, indifference, anger, personalities, unreliable judgments, cultural differences, ignorance and fears, that threaten to taint their decision-making abilities, cause them to ignore the real issues in the case, and potentially lead them to a miscarriage of justice. (http://www.filmsite.org/twelve.html) Cast of Main Characters: Martin Balsam Juror 1 (Foreman; coach) John Fiedler Juror 2 (Bank clerk; inexperienced...
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...12 Angry Men Film Analysis 25 October 2010 Film Analysis The film, 12 Angry Men (1957), is a drama about a jury that was to decide the fate of a teenaged boy who was facing the electric chair for supposedly killing his father with a switchblade knife. The twelve men were locked into a small, claustrophobic jury room on an unbearably hot summer day until they came up with a unanimous decision - either guilty or not guilty. Over the course of the film the votes went from eleven guilty and one not, to a unanimous vote of ‘not guilty’. The movie provides many examples of persuasive speaking, group communication and conflict, and different communication climates. In the movie Henry Fonda’s character made good use of his persuasive speaking skills. He personally had nothing to gain from either verdict, but found the ease with which the others were willing to sentence a young man to death disconcerting. He was firm, but not confrontational when he gave his reasons for voting not guilty. He simply said that he was not convinced ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ that the boy had committed the crime and asked that they review the evidence. With each piece of cosmetically ‘concrete’ evidence he discredited, he slowly placed doubt within the minds of his fellow jurors. He never out-right said he thought that the defendant was innocent, only that he believed there to be some doubt as to the certainty of his guilt. “It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this...
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