"Twelve Angry Men", such a misleading name, as if the screen is about to be full of violence and blood. However, the original name of this American movie was "12 angry men", but it was a court movie. If you talk about anger, it is not completely absent in the movie. As an "angry man", juror No. 3 seems to be the most typical. He roared from start to finish, emphasizing his stand and opinions over and over again, almost making people think that he wanted to send the defendant to the electric chair with a loud voice. And No. 3 is also the most stubborn, the last person to agree that "the defendant is not guilty." But his foothold? Just to escape the responsibility of not educating his son. In front of life, such "anger" seems ridiculously humble.
Before the beginning of the story of the whole film, a concept appeared: "Suspected guilt is never guilty": The defendant should be asserted not guilty before evidence of a complete conviction is presented. The general idea is "I'd rather let go of a thousand than kill one by mistake." This has deeply affected the judicial system of the contemporary United States of America, and "forces" American judicial personnel to treat the process of case trials with almost obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the same time, this also constitutes the cornerstone of the theme of the film, leading to a series of fierce conflicts erupting in the small lounge.
Suspicion of the evidence made Juror No. 8 stand on the opposite side of the majority from the beginning. "The minority obeys the majority" should be a well-known method for resolving differences. However, American courts require all jurors to reach a consensus before they can make a final judgment. Isn't this asking for trouble? In a jury of twelve people, dissidents must spend a lot of time persuading others; similarly, as long as there is an objection, others may have to spend their tongues before dismissing it. Such a time-consuming and laborious jury system must be "clumsy" and unfamiliar to most Chinese. However, in my opinion, this approach can be regarded as a kind of compassion. "Tai Ping Guang Ji" Volume 1 VII quoted "Tan Tau" saying: "Xue Daoheng visited the Kaishan Temple in Zhongshan, saying that the little monk said:'What is King Kong's glaring eyes? What is Bodhisattva's low eyebrows?' Answered: 'King Kong's eyes are angry, so I surrender to the fourth Demon; Bodhisattva lowers his eyebrows, so the six realms of compassion.'"
What a "six ways of compassion"!
Out of respect for the life of the defendant, and out of belief in the spirit of the "rule of law" and the constitution, juror No. 8 became a "minority" and single-handedly opposed eleven "angry men." From the standpoint of each of the angry guys, it seems that they are the defenders of the law, and those who violate the law should be punished severely! "Murder pays lives, debts pay off", this is the unbreakable truth! However, when anger, prejudice and conformity blind people's eyes and stand on the commanding heights of morality, people often lose the ability to think calmly. Such masses, or "blind currents", will create "tyranny of the majority" and create "banal evil."
Therefore, in Buddhist statues, the Bodhisattva always has kind eyebrows and good eyes, with his eyes closed slightly, because the Bodhisattva knows that all beings are not easy, and he respects the existence of every life. In the spirit of democracy and the rule of law, Westerners have reached the same goal with the great roads of the East. In the movie, juror No. 8 is constantly discussing the case, while also constantly restoring the truth of the incident. Perhaps his inference is wrong, and the defendant may be a murderer of his father. However, his efforts exposed loopholes in the trial process of the case and brought up another angle of view of the case. When the pros and cons of hiring lawyers, prosecutors, and judges cannot be completely fair, we can only ensure that the procedures of case trial are followed as much as possible, and to achieve fairness and justice in form, to the defendant. People have a chance to repay their innocence. At this time, respect for "law" is not much different from respect for life.
I believe that compassion is definitely not the same as "weakness", and it is not a good gentleman or a good person. And low eyebrows don't mean obedience, let alone compassion without a bottom line. In modern courts, "compassion" has been added a new meaning: respect for life, respect for the law, and give anyone a chance to defend themselves. This is in line with the concept of great compassion in my mind. This is the real kindness in my mind.
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