Redemption - A Story About Twelve Men tormenting a Child

Liana 2022-04-19 09:01:11

"We're not here to fight. We've got a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. I've always thought that's the virtue of a democratic society. We got letters, we're told to be here, to decide if someone we've never met is guilty or not, No matter what kind of verdict is made, we have nothing to gain and nothing to lose, that's why our country is so strong."
When this line came out, I really understood what the movie wanted to tell the audience. what is. The treatment of children in the film suddenly reminded me of Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables". In a society that lacks tolerance, everyone seems to see people with only one eye instead of one. Living in a slum, he has been a major concern of the school since he was a child. He was dropped out of school several times. He suffered from his father's domestic violence. When his father died, he was seen hurriedly coming out of the house with a knife, etc. All this seems to have pushed all the suspects onto the child.
The prejudiced vision seems to be the vicious circle of "Rashomon" that people can never get out of. A person who comes out of prison seems to find it difficult to gain a foothold in this society, and the way he survives is to commit crimes again. Then there is no need for people who go into prison to come out. But to change people's prejudice is another extremely difficult thing. So, what we have to do is to keep people from going into prison. In the film, the architect plays a sober role, guiding the eleven people to change their prejudices. Completed the redemption of this child.
The point of this film is not only to warn those in power, but more of those who hold the judiciary, to think more when you convict a person. I also want to tell the world that when looking at something, thank you for being calm and less impulsive.

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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.