Film Summary - 12 Angry Men

After six days of trial, now the jury needs to decide whether this eighteen-year-old boy is the murderer of his father. It is a hot afternoon, and 12 men are locked in the jury room to discuss the case. In the first vote, 11 men think the boy is guilty; only one doesn’t vote guilty simply because he thinks it is too soon to make this decision. The other men get angry about his words and try to show the evidence to persuade him: the noise heard by the old man living under stairs, the crime motive, the murdering scene seen by the woman across the EI line, the boy’s lies about the films he watched but cannot remember that night. Their words not only show their thoughts but their attitude to the boy and the whole case. Even though everyone gives a speech to change his mind, #8 juror doesn’t be convinced, yet under this pressure, he request another vote and promise to give up if other 11 still think the boy is guilty. Fortunately an old man besides him chooses to suppose him. Then as they continue to discuss the details, #8 juror and other jurors find more and more contradictions towards all the testimonies; through the disputation, each juror reveals their own mind obstacles and conquers their own prejudice. The vote changes from 10:2, 9:3, 8:4, to 11:1. In the end they convince the #3 juror who has personal prejudice to agree to the reasonable doubt.
12 Angry Men as director Sidney Lumet’s first film was a fiasco on tickets in that year. However it turns to be a classic trial film which discusses juror system, justice, social responsibility, as well as human nature. Another important feature is that this film only cost 350,000 dollars and is finished in less than 3 weeks. Lumet as TV show director devotes to thrift and efficient. In the same time it also shows Lumet’s high ability to organize such a single-room file. It is a black-and-white film with long dialogues, yet seldom audience feel boring or dull, instead the film draws them into the play and keeps them