Review of 12 Angry Men (1957) by Andy F — 30 Oct 2017

Twelve jurors are tasked to decide the fate of a boy accused of murdering his father. All are certain that the boy is guilty, except the protagonist, juror no. 8.

For a black and white movie set almost entirely in one room, I enjoyed the movie much more than I expected. Although the plot of the narrative is quite straightforward, the movie manages to create tension and suspense with the impactful and precisely scripted dialogues. Furthermore, the movie explores deep issues such as prejudice and justice system, creating a lasting impact on the audience.

A motif that surfaces in the film is how prejudice blinds people. In fact, the prejudice of the antagonists is so repugnantly portrayed that the audience would find themselves compelled to support the protagonist. The story begins with a short but crucial introduction of each character's personality. In their small talks before the deliberation of the case, juror no. 3's hidden bias towards adolescents is hinted in his lines: "I'd slap those tough kids down before they start any trouble." It is later revealed that his prejudice had stemmed from a tormenting relationship with his son, causing him to project a sadistic attitude towards the youthful defendant. Likewise, juror no. 10's eager to convict the defendant is explicitly fuelled by racism, seeing Spanish-Americans as "born liars" who cannot be trusted. Due to their prejudices, they were unable to make rational and objective judgements and closed their minds to any alternative interpretations of the case.

12 Angry Men runs parallel with To Kill a Mockingbird in several aspects. Both are black and white films, courtroom dramas and addresses the issues of racism. While 12 Angry Men is an interesting movie, I find To Kill a Mockingbird more poignant and having more depth in portraying racial discrimination.