Twelve Angry Men

               For this film, I actually read the script beforehand. This made for a very interesting experience while watching. Obviously I know that reading a script is not the same as watching a movie, or even reading a book. So as I began to read Twelve Angry Men, I tried to keep that in perspective. Reading the stage directions and other notes made reading the script interesting as well, but I personally see why books and movies are more popular.

            As for the story, I did enjoy it. Murder and crime are something we all know about. Sure, some of our expertise ranges, but we all hear about crime. When watching the news and hearing people talk about crime, I think it’s hard to think about the actual people they are pertaining to. We have all become almost desensitized by the horrible things we are hearing. When we hear “murder,” do we think about the actual person who will never open their eyes again? Or will never hold and hug their mother? Speaking of mother, do we think about the ones they are leaving behind? I think most people would shamefully admit we do not. So reading this story, I took that into account.

            The realism lied within the jury members. The fact that our justice system comes down to the opinion of complete strangers is kind of scary. Although they are presented with the facts, and are told to be unbiased, they do have their own lives and responsibilities. The story captures that really well. Here these men have their own things that they are worried about, and it would be easy for them to do whatever the group is doing. The fact that one man did stand up is honestly shocking.

            I also liked that they showed how different upbringings and social structures affect different people. Each jury member noticed something different, or knew about something to back up facts. No one person knows enough about everything, so I liked that juror No. 8 wasn’t the only one talking and presenting facts.

            It also was sad but true how people can be disposable of others based on where they are from. The kid who was being charged was instantly looked down upon and considered guilty based on where he was from. I believe this happens regularly, not even in court, but on every day accounts. This isn’t always fair, but people do it.

            I like that this story made you question your morals. It made you look at yourself and think about how you would vote. I would hope that I wouldn’t simply go off of my own biases and vote with the norm, but then again, not everyone is like juror No. 8.  It made me also hope that people who are on juries really take their position seriously. After reading this script, it made me excited to see the movie so that I could see and feel more emotion.

     The characters in the script all had very distinct personalities and had very specific roles to portray. I picked up on that right away and knew that this story was tapping on some inner ethical issues that are rarely addressed. I wondered how each of the characters would be represented and how emotional they would be.

            Watching the movie, I honestly wasn’t too disappointed. I didn’t realize until after the movie started though how hard it was going to be to keep up with all the characters, seeing as they didn’t have names! In the script, you could simply look over to see what number juror was talking, but in the movie there was no such luxury. As the movie went on though, it was easier to keep up. In fact, I really liked the fact that I had read the script before the movie. It made it easier for me to know what each character represented and who each of them were in the film. Honestly it was fun to see the person casted, as well as their outfit, for each character. I had my own depiction of each character in my mind, so to see them dressed as what each of their stereotypes was interesting.

            I also liked that I got to see the conditions of the room they were in. Being a juror isn’t a glamorous task, yet it’s jurors who uphold our founding values. A bit ironic if you ask me. Seeing the men, with such a huge decision on their shoulder, drenched in sweat in a cramped space, looked awful. How were they supposed to stay focused on the decision at hand when they were uncomfortable? That would also explain why the other jurors were irritated with juror number eight asking questions that would keep them confined longer.

            The script made me question a lot about our country’s fair trial system. It almost shed a light on how important it is to have unbiased jurors who take their position seriously. Everyone has their own life to attend to and responsibilities, but when faced with a serious decision on behalf of someone else, is it possible to push those behind? The movie only solidified that. Getting to see each character and how they acted made it more real. I had kind of forgotten how juries were selected and how they were purposefully meant to be diverse. Seeing from the outfits they were wearing, to their demeanor, was interesting to identify.

I really liked how even though it was a movie, they never said their names. It made you think about what it is they stood for and what they were saying, not about their identity. They kept that theme until the very end of the movie, until two of the jurors introduced themselves to each other. It was then when I had the “epiphany” moment if you will that they really were everyday people. I also found it to be very symbolic that juror number eight, the one who made them question the whole case, was wearing a white suit. He was a Jesus-like character, there to save the day.

Overall I really liked the film and script. I appreciate pieces that challenge your everyday normalcy and morals. This is a situation that you could easily find yourself in, maybe not to this severity, but similar. This piece made me realize just how important it is to have your values and stick to them. Convenience is not a good enough excuse to not do what is right.