Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Keejeng L — 19 Apr 2018

I would recommend this movie for anyone who wants to understand how to have a successful and convincing argument. 12 Angry Men succinctly illustrates the importance of carefully analyzing arguments to identify the emotions and positions that conceal personal agendas propagated by people.

The film highlights how various parties, like #3 and #10, were focused on superficial claims to base their decision of "guilty", while others were bigoted and unwilling to consider the perspectives of the other jurors.

However, #8 exemplified the abilities of a skilled negotiator, convincing the entire jury to change their minds to a "not guilty" verdict, which would save a man's life. Even though merely working with reasonable doubt of the man's guilt, this was independent of whether he was truly guilty or not.

The final decision was arrived through a systematic and thorough cross-examination of the facts on hand.