12 Angry Men
Introduction
It is an American film directed by William Friedkin. A father was murdered. His child was accused of his murder. A jury was constituted to decide the fate of the defendant. The jury included 12 persons. These 12 men have to decide the fate of a teenage boy who is accused of the murder of his father. The judge assigns duties to the jury to decide the matter unanimously so that the case is solved without a hint of doubt. However, after ascertaining the pieces of evidence and statements jury voted 11 in favour of guilty and 1 in non-guilty. Nevertheless, juror 8 raises concerns that he finds something missing and there are certain doubts about the shreds of evidence, statements and perceiving of this murder. With the passage of time and reassessing the statements and evidence, the jurors' minds begin to change. And finally, they unanimously decide that the teenage boy is innocent.
Analysis of 12 Angry Men
The following is the analysis of 12 Angry Men.
Justice and Right to Fair Trail
The 12 Angry Men depicts the importance of justice. Justice is not just to decide the matter but conclude the matter beyond the shadow of a doubt. Juror 8 has endorsed this notion vehemently. Therefore, he also obliged the other jury members to overview the matter carefully to reach the final conclusion.
Reasonable Doubts
This play depicts a very interesting concern while judging the matter. In beginning, 11 jury members were certain that the son is a murderer. However, one member does not take this certainty but he creates reasonable doubts. In legal parlance, a matter should be decided beyond doubt. It is the reason that there were enough doubts that 12 members give a unanimous decision of innocence.
Class/Stratification
In the movie, the idea of class is very discernable. The jury discusses the slum area as well as poor upbringing. It shows the level of social insecurity and notion about the slum areas. It also depicts that poor socialization and social environment can be reasons for criminal tendencies. Furthermore, prejudice can be witnessed against the inhabitants of slum areas and against the defendant.
Stubbornness
While pronouncing the earlier verdict stubbornness can also be witnessed. Jurors are hesitant and sometimes aggressive to change their minds. It was not easy to change the whole judgement. Inner restraints can also be seen.
Adoption
Another significant idea that comes to realize is that the jury is quite open-minded. Despite their concerns and stubbornness, they were adoptive to changing arguments and decisions. They took every doubt seriously and evaluate it on legal merits. It also shows their knowledge.
In nutshell, 12 Angry Men depicts the importance of the justice system. It shows that every accusation should be proven beyond doubt. It also explains the class stratification and prejudices against them.
