Research
Paper on
Twelve Angry Men
Background:
In this movie, the jury of twelve men is entrusted with the
power to send an uneducated, teenaged Puerto Rican,
tenement-dwelling boy to the electric chair. The crime that the
boy is accused of is killing his father with a switchblade
knife. The jury which is aptly described twelve angry men is
locked into a small, claustrophobic rectangular room on a
stifling hot summer day until they come up with a unanimous
decision. The decision that is to decide a boy’s life is to be
either guilty or not guilty. The film is particularly important
as it examines the twelve men's deep-seated personal prejudices.
Theses are reflected in the perceptual biases and weaknesses,
indifference, anger, personalities, unreliable judgments,
cultural differences, ignorance and fears, that are in a
position to mar their decision-making abilities, and
subsequently cause them to ignore the real issues in the case.
This can potentially lead them to a miscarriage of justice.
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Evidence of Prejudice:
In this movie, right in the start, the foreman presents two
alternatives which are that should the jury discuss things first
and then vote, or "take a preliminary vote" immediately to "see
who's where"?, as is the case in most biased cases, the jury
opts for the latter alternative. What is interesting to note is
that six of the jurors (# 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, and 12) quickly put
their hands up reflecting prejudice whereas the remaining.
However what is even more important is the influence of other
people in matters such as jury decision these are reflect when
after a slight pause and because of peer pressure, jurors # 2,
5, 6, 11 and 9 hesitantly join them. What is more important is
the depiction of the ability to withstand peer pressure, which
is reflected in one lone dissenter, Juror # 8.
From this point on the evidence of prejudice and bias against
stereo type s is reflected. The first statement from this
leagues comes from the Juror # 10 who shakes his head, clearly
disbelieving and upset by the lone dissenter: "Boy, oh boy,
there's always one."
It should be noted that # 8 votes not guilty, not because he is
sure of the boy's innocence, but because he wishes to talk about
the serious case without emotionally pre-judging the
eighteen-year old boy. Unlike him however it is seen that juror
# 3 does the opposite in saying:
“The kid's a dangerous killer, you could see it...He stabbed his
own father, four inches into the chest. They proved it a dozen
different ways in court, would you like me to list them for ya?”
Likewise Juror # 7 is firmly convinced of the boy's guilt: "You
couldn't change my mind if you talked for a hundred years."
Juror # 10: I don't mind telling you this, mister. We don't owe
him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn't he? What do you think
that trial cost? He's lucky he got it. You know what I mean? Now
look, we're all grown-ups in here. We heard the facts, didn't
we? You're not gonna tell me that we're supposed to believe this
kid, knowing what he is. Listen, I've lived among them all my
life. You can't believe a word they say. You know that. I mean,
they're born liars.
Juror # 9: Only an ignorant man can believe that...Do you think
you were born with a monopoly on the truth?
What is important to note is that one brave dissenting juror
votes 'not guilty' at the start of the deliberations because of
his reasonable doubt.
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