Twelve Angry Men: Sociological Dynamics 12 Angry Men (1957) is the gripping, penetrating, and engrossing examination of a diverse group of twelve jurors (all male, mostly middle-aged, white, and generally of middle-class status) who are uncomfortably brought together to deliberate after hearing the 'facts in a seemingly open- and-shut murder trial case. They retire to a jury room to do their civic duty and serve up a just verdict for the indigent minority defendant (with a criminal record) whose life is in the balance. The film is a powerful indictment, denouncement and expose of the trial by jur tem. The frightened, teenaged defendant is on trial, as well as the jury and the American judicial system with its purported sense of infallibility, fairness and lack of bias.
The film is an example of social interaction, conflicts, group functions, and cooperation. The background information here is brief. It is done intentionally because since it is felt that what the are and who they are will be revealed in their dialogue and actions during the course of the film. [The number in brackets are added and represent the order in which the juror voted not guilty.] Foreman: 35 years old. Assistant high-school football coach. A small petty men who is at first wary and then impressed with the authority he has. Handles himself quite formally. Not overly bright but dogged. [9] Juror #2: 38 years old. Bank clerk. A meek, hesitant man who finds it difficult to maintain any opinions of his own. Easily swayed and usually adopts the opinion of the last person to whom he has spoken. [5] Juror #3: 40 years old. Head of messenger service. A very strong, very forceful, extremely opinionated man within whom can be detected a streak of sadism. A humorless man who is intolerant f opinions other than his own, and accustomed to forcing his wishes and views upon others. [12] Juror #4: 50 years old. Stockbroker. A man o wealth and position. A practiced speaker who presents himself well at all times. Seems to feel a little bit above the rest of the jurors. His only concern is with the facts in this case and he is appalled with the behavior of the others. Constantly preening himself, combing his hair, cleaning his nails, etc. [10 tiel Juror #5: 25 years old. Mechanic. A naive, very frightened young man who takes his obligation in this ery seriously but who finds it difficult to speak up when his elders have the floor. [3] Juror #6: 33 years old. Housepainter. An honest, but dull-witted man who comes upon his decisions slowly and carefully. A man who finds it difficult to create positiv opinions, but who must listen to and digest and accept those opinions offered by others which appeal to him most. [6] Juror #7: 42 years old. Salesman. A loud, flashy, "gladhanded" salesman type who has more important things to do than to sit on a jury. He is quick to show temper, quick to form opinions on things about which he knows nothing. He is a bully, and, of course, a coward. [7] Juror #8: 42 years old. Architect. A quiet, thoughtful, gentle man. A man who sees many sides to very question and constantly seeks the truth. A man of strength tempered with compassion. Abo man who wants justice to be done, and will fight to see that it is.
18 ALAN LOMAX of city detectives to serve as a card of admittance and a guaranty that we were all right, we went into the dives and joints of New Orleans. Our hopes ran high, until we noticed that shortly after our entrance into a beer-parlor, a constrained silence would fall on the assembled men and women: and not long after, we four, with the bartender, would be the only ones left in the silent hall The next morning I went back alone to one of the barrel-houses. There I was approached by an old peg-leg Negro man. "Was you de gem mun huntin' foh songsters heah las' night? You know when I see you come in wid de law. I didn' know how to trus' you-I been arrested once befo' an' sent to de pen when I hadn' been doin' nothin But, ef you reely wants old-time songs, I'm reely ole-time songster. Git me a li'l gin an come on back in dis here booth. Now, I feel better, mo' lak singin Ever hear tell of de hoodoos dat dey used to have here in Lou ana? Well, one Sain John Eve me an buddy decide we go out to one o' dem hoodoo shows, so we start out an' we go tell we come way out yander in de swamp to a sort of a hall. An we go in an' set down wid some other niggers an' wait. After so long a time a yaller woman bust thoo' de black curtain at de back wid de bigges' rattlesnake wrop aroun' her neck I ever seen. Mus' been ten er fifteen foot long. Dey plays some music an' she an dat 'ere rattler an' some monst'ous black cats do a dance. Den pu'tty soon she disappear in de curtain. "Bout dat time I ask my buddy didn' he think it bout time to be gittin' on home, but he say to wait a little, so we wait. After a while de bigges', blackes' nigger man mus' be in de worl', mus' been nine er ten er twelve foot tall, jump out o' dat curtain an' gin to dance. Dey beat on a little log drum an' sing while he dance an' dis what dey sing The old fellow then produced a mouth organ, wetted it with his lips and tongue, and played a gay little French folk-tune, quite different from any music we had so far heard. Then he sang the words which he remembered hearing sung on that night twenty years before, not understanding anything of their meaning-he did not speak French but passing them on as accurately as he could recall. They were part French, part Creole, and, quite understandably, part poor memory Well, dey keeps on playin' dat tune an' de big fellow keep on dancin until he all lathered wid sweat an' he eye burn like a chunk o' fire. All de time he kep' growin' smaller an smaller, an' littler, tell at las' he weren't no bigger dan a li'l baby. Den, bang, he disappeared. So I heads for home so fas' tell I fergot de river bridge an' had to swim de Mississippi dat night to git to New Orleans
