12 ANGRY MEN: ANALYSIS AND DECODING THE ASPECT OF PROBABLE JUST

The film emphasizes the importance of impartiality and open-mindedness in decision-making, particularly in the context of serving justice. This message is relevant in today's society, where people often form opinions based on limited information.

Daneyal Afaqui

September 8, 2024

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“12 Angry Men“, a 1957 film, by Sidney Lumet, may be the most radical courtroom drama in cinema history. A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system that is as riveting as it is spare, this iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the dissenting member on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The result is a saga of epic proportions that plays out over a tense afternoon in one sweltering room. Lumet’s electrifying snapshot of 1950s America on the verge of change is one of the great feature film debuts.¹

The Film

The story revolves around a heated Jury discussion for the trial of a boy from the slum who was abused by his father and is accused of murdering him. At the very beginning when everyone is convinced that the boy is the killer, he is guilty, but only one person, “Henry Fonda” Davis in the film, is not in favor. And thus starts the whole movie. While exposing the filth of people judging based on character and also the difference between classes, the film presents some reasonable arguments in that case where the people are getting themselves out of their shells and confronting their reasonable arguments for the sake of one innocent life.

Adding even more to this, the movie is symbolic in a different way. For instance, the whole time the jury members are sweating for the heated argument of course, and also for the stuck-up decision at the end of the movie, they were clear and fine; there is a fan that was not working from the very beginning and when it starts, it brings a change in people’s heart about others; even the intensification of the rain symbolizes that even the most rigid of characters is about to break. Most noticeable of all the facts is every character is nameless until the last moment when the names Davis and Mc. Cardle set off to two different paths meaning they have gone past this moment and are now living the life of their individuality, they have moved from being numbers to being people where the heat and sweat do not bother them anymore. They are happy, they feel free to offer justice to the hung-up case, without spoiling anything anymore.

Cinematography

For “12 Angry Men”, the camera begins at above eye level, starting with an overhead establishing shot as we enter the jury room, but as the film progresses and the longer we stay confined to that one room, the camera slowly begins to slip to eyes level, before going to below eye level, as the tension and the arguments between the jurors in the room gets more heated, which helps create a claustrophobic environment. The final shot of the juror members leaving the courthouse was done in a wide overhead shot, to create a sense of release and relief now they’d reached a unanimous verdict.

Reflection of the society and Relevant to today’s context

In the 1950s, society strongly emphasized conformity and societal norms. This was reflected in the film through the actions of the jurors. The movie also touches on the theme of prejudice and discrimination. This was a prevalent issue for minority groups in the 1950s. This conformity was also seen in the pressure to perform well on exams and the value placed on education. The education system in the 1950s placed a strong emphasis on conformity and societal norms. This was reflected in the importance of paper, books, and exams. The film’s exploration of these normalities and values also shows that these attitudes can affect the legal framework.²

We see moments of prejudice, social injustice, racism, discrimination, family drama, and hurtful despondency from one member of the jury or the other. Even if the film is more than a half-century old -almost 6 decades now – it’s still relevant today in a lot of ways.

The film emphasizes the importance of impartiality and open-mindedness in decision-making, particularly in the context of serving justice. This message is relevant in today’s society, where people often form opinions based on limited information. We are reminded to be unbiased, question evidence, think critically, and consider different perspectives to make fair and informed decisions. It teaches us to be just and transparent as Jurors forgo their personal biases and conjectures to make fair and impartial decisions. So, we should know the truth of the matter, that is exactly what is going on.

“No jury can declare a man guilty unless it’s sure”.

Incentive for Analysis

The Philosophical feature of the film which touches on the different aspects of making justice makes the film so riveting, and also, how a juror should be while making justice.

“Open-mindedness, forgoing personal biases and conjecture”, are some ideal things one should carry with them to make a fair decision. As the Quran mentioned “and conjecture can never take the place of the Truth” (Qur’an, 53:28). Also, “and when you judge between people, to judge with justice” (Qur’an, 4:58).

There aren’t only lenses to look upon a particular thing. At a glance, humans can only see the apparent perspective of an affair. To be just and fair, we should look at a particular issue from different perspectives.