Film Critic: Twelve Angry Men, what's your number?

George 2021-10-19 09:50:51

During lunch, I spent some time watching the film [Twelve Angry Men], a very classic American black and white film, shot in 1957. The feeling after watching is very deep, which can be described as shocking. And this shocking power not only comes from the amazement of the unique legal system in the United States, but also comes from the director's description of the interspersed in the short two-hour film With 12 people, it can be said that the image of these 12 people is vividly portrayed, as if they are right beside you on the screen. I think this is the reason why the director named this great film "twelve angry man". It seems that the film is an American legal education film, but it does provide an in-depth analysis of human nature.

The 12 people are ranked according to their positions:

1. The host

is an image of a leader, and he did a very good job. From the beginning, everyone voted and the jury trial was promoted in accordance with the rules and regulations. Think about it. Without this person's impartial law enforcement, he might have reached a GUILTY conclusion at 1:11 at the beginning. He also coordinated with all parties many times, stabilized the situation when everyone was arguing, and communicated with other court staff very politely. When it was raining heavily, he told No. 8 that he was leading the football team. Things. But the leader had hardly said anything in the discussion. He didn't give his own reason when he thought he was guilty. He also raised his hand very casually when he changed his opinion and said that he was innocent. I think this is indeed what most of the current leaders have done.

2. A geek with eyes

is a very humble guy. First of all, he was cowardly, and did not resist when he bullied him on the 3rd, but it can be seen that he was very excited to participate in such a jury for the first time. I think this is the image of an American "weak" and "little citizen". He is very good to others, but it seems that everyone-including his office colleagues bullies him. He also doesn't have his own opinion. Everything is based on feelings. The first speaker said: I just think. . . this person. . . guilty. It can be seen that he is not like No. 12 and No. 7 to cover up that he "does not know why he is guilty", frank, ordinary, this kind of person may find it difficult to communicate with him in society, but I think this kind of person is still more people like.

3. The last opponent who gave up GUILTY had the

most words in the play, and most of what he said was yelling. Represents "paranoia". This kind of person has given himself a definition from the beginning, and he has also given a definition to his child: this is a criminal. Just as he defined its children: You are a man. And he was not changed by other people's judgments. From the beginning, he was the most steadfast opponent, even if he was stupid to say something contradictory. This kind of person is usually a person with a very low self-esteem. He needs to shout loudly, constantly insult others, and be impulsive. To prove that he is correct, or that he is not so sure that he is correct, he just thinks that he should be right, and then insists on doing it, regardless of what people around him think. As long as this kind of person is smarter, he may be the closest to "success"-because only paranoia can succeed.

4. A very rational opponent

I think he represents "rational", and it is very reason. From the director's portrayal of his image-a white-collar and serious brother with eyes, to his own calmness and dignity, to the trait designed for him by an interesting director: he doesn't sweat. They are all conveying such a message to us. He was very rational. Even when only three people thought they were not guilty, he still insisted on his rational judgment and made his own judgment. "A woman saw that boy killed his father." This is an indestructible evidence. And he is very smart, and he can tell what it means when the old man mentions that there is a groove on the bridge of the woman's nose. In addition, he was constantly revising his conclusions based on information. When asked whether he could remember the movies he watched on the 8th, he sweated. I think the only sweating scene in this n man movie is because he realized that when he asked the question on the 8th, the boy said that not remembering the name of the movie would not prove guilty. An absolutely rational person, one has to admire.

5. A jury member who came out of the slum and the

third innocent supporter. I have raised my own doubts many times. There are as few scenes as No. 6, I am afraid he is the most common jury member, but he has clearly expressed his point of view when he appears on the scene.

6. A person who finds jury fun

A person who finds jury very interesting, although he has been in a state of opposition, he has never complained about wasting time, he is still a person who maintains order. I saw him threatening No. 3 and No. 7 several times to prevent them from making actions that upset him.

7. The cowboy who wants to watch the ball game, the selfish person who just wants to leave early,

hates the person most. It stands for "indifference" and just thinking about your own game. Perhaps most of the current mentality in China is like this. Although it is my responsibility to judge the jury, in fact I don't care or care at all, just to get my own. Three dollars is a low-level taste, so I don’t care about a life. I can imagine that if you were to be a jury, you would be like him: no matter if it doesn't get on the electric chair, it will make me feel comfortable and get the money to watch the football game anyway.

8. The original skeptic

profession was an architect. We can guess that this person looked thoughtful from the beginning. In fact, you can think about this person may be like this: I think that the child may be innocent-this should be completely pity. I went to the child's house and found that there were knives that could easily be bought around the child, which was exactly the same as the child. I was very skeptical, which was expressed during the jury.

9. The wise old man

observes very carefully and keenly, and I think the acting is very good, no matter who speaks, he observes very carefully. A wise, quiet old man. He observed almost every major breakthrough. The details of the witness's clothing, the print on the bridge of his nose, the psychology of the elderly, the second person who voted not guilty. The purpose is that "this case really needs to be re-examined".

10.

From the beginning, the discriminators held a prejudice, thinking that all the chaos on the street should be killed, and there is no concept of equality, and in the end they are indeed despised and spurned by everyone. I think it would certainly not be the case in China, because people are discriminating against those who are poor and uneducated in their hearts, as if only in this way can they feel some sense of superiority. The Beijing government continues to demolish schools for children of migrant workers, hoping to expel those "uncultivated" people out of Beijing's urban areas. This is a typical example.

11. A well-educated and responsible watchmaker

Very responsible. From the very beginning, I took various notes and delivered two very high-level speeches (I think I very much agree with the sentence: "This is the reason why our country is so strong. Indeed, The high sense of responsibility of the American people and the high degree of participation in people’s democracy have to be envied.) What they say is more powerful, such as angering No.7 and expressing the need for "reasonable doubt". I would like this kind of person very much.

12. On the wall, if you say that No. 7 is a bad person, this person can only be judged as a stupid.

I really don’t want to comment on this person. I can only use the word stupid to describe himself. One person can demonstrate himself by wearing a black-rimmed glasses The ignorant man.

Other thoughts:

In fact, No. 8 was completely uncertain at the beginning, but kept repeating: maybe, it's posible. Maybe it’s been more time, or if there is no No. 9 to help him stabilize his position, his The reversal failed.

This is a typical collective unconscious performance. In fact, between the 11th, the 9th, and the 4th, I think they also have questions, but they have not said it. Everyone around is talking about it. Will you easily accept and believe it when you make a statement? A

democratic trial needs to be supported by national qualities. I think there is no such soil in China. Think about it. If you want to build a jury system in China, I bet you will even be number one. The team leader may be as indifferent as No. 7.

In fact, the root of this reversal is irrational questioning of the pity of a boy.

View more about 12 Angry Men reviews

Extended Reading

12 Angry Men quotes

  • Juror #8: [after conducting an experiment to see if the old man could have reached his door in 15 seconds] Here's what I think happened: the old man heard the fight between the boy and his father a few hours earlier. Then, when he's lying in his bed, he heard a body hit the floor in the boy's apartment, heard the woman scream from across the street, got to his front door as fast as he could, heard somebody racing down the stairs and *assumed* it was the boy!

    Juror #6: I think that's possible!

    Juror #3: [from the other side of the room] *"Assumed"?*

    [Everyone looks at #3 as he chuckles]

    Juror #3: Brother, I've seen all kinds of dishonesty in my day, but this little display takes the cake. Y'all come in here with your hearts bleedin' all over the floor about slum kids and injustice, you listen to some fairy tales... Suddenly, you start gettin' through to some of these old ladies. Well, you're not getting through to me, I've had enough.

    [starts shouting]

    Juror #3: What's the *matter* with you guys? You all *know* he's guilty! He's *got* to burn! You're letting him slip through our fingers!

    Juror #8: [brow furrowing] "Slip through our fingers"? Are you his executioner?

    Juror #3: I'm one of 'em!

    Juror #8: ...Perhaps you'd like to pull the switch?

    Juror #3: For this kid? You bet I would!

    Juror #8: [baiting him] I feel sorry for you. What it must feel like to want to pull the switch! Ever since you walked into this room, you've been acting like a self-appointed public avenger. You want to see this boy die because you *personally* want it, not because of the facts! You're a sadist!

    [#3 lunges wildly at #8, who holds his ground. Several jurors hold #3 back]

    Juror #3: I'll kill him! I'll - *kill him!*

    Juror #8: [calmly] You don't *really* mean you'll kill me, do you?

  • Juror #8: [taking a cough drop that Juror #2 offered him] There's something else I'd like to talk about for a minute. Thanks. I think we've proved that the old man couldn't have heard the boy say "I'm gonna kill you", but supposing he did...

    Juror #10: [interrupting] You didn't prove it at all. What're you talking about?

    Juror #8: But supposing he really *did* hear it. This phrase, how many times have all of us used it? Probably thousands. "I could kill you for that, darling." "Junior, you do that once more and I'm gonna kill you." "Get in there, Rocky, and kill him!"... See, we say it every day. That doesn't mean we're gonna kill anyone.

    Juror #3: Wait a minute, what are you trying to give us here? The phrase was "I'm gonna kill you"; the kid yelled it at the top of his lungs... Don't tell me he didn't mean it! Anybody says a thing like that the way he said it, they mean it!

    Juror #2: Well, gee now, I don't know.

    [Everyone looks at #2]

    Juror #2: I remember I was arguing with the guy I work next to at the bank a couple of weeks ago. He called me an idiot, so I yelled at him.

    Juror #3: [pointing at #8] Now listen, this guy's tryin' to make you believe things that aren't so! The kid said he was gonna kill him, and he *did* kill him!

    Juror #8: Let me ask you this: do you really think the kid would shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don't think so; he's much to bright for that.

    Juror #10: Bright? He's a common, ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.

    Juror #11: [looking up] He *doesn't* even speak good English.