Movie Review of 12 Angry Men

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2017)

12 Angry Men is an intriguing movie which I highly recommend watching. It displays the multi-faceted nature of human deliberation and the power of persuasion.
The movie starts in a courtroom where the judge directs a jury to decide on the guilt of an accused person. The movie is set in a small room, where the 12 jurors from various professions are seated around a table. In order to sentence the boy to death, there must be a unanimous verdict of 'guilty' among all the jurors. If there is any reasonable doubt among the jury, they are to deliver a sentence of 'not guilty'. Strong contemporaneous evidence pointed towards the guilt of the boy as there were several eyewitnesses and the Prosecution was able to adduce strong evidence supporting a finding of guilt.
When the movie began, 11 of the jurymen raised their hands for a vote of 'guilty'. Only juror 8 voted 'not guilty' as he was convinced that there was reasonable doubt regarding the guilt of the accused. The jury begin to debate and discuss their views on why they perceive the accused to be guilty. After juror 8 cast doubt on their decisions, he called for a secret vote.
From the secret vote, the plot progresses and we see how the various jurors begin to change their position as reasonable doubt is cast.
I like how the director of the movie reveals key information regarding the crime throughout the movie which affects the jury's deliberation but also simultaneously creates an aura of mystery and uncertainty about the actual evidence of the crime.
This movie does not disappoint as the intensity and sheer thought into the development of the script provides a compelling and engaging plot for all viewers. It also reveals how humans are intrinsically flawed as we all have prejudices, but there are situations where such prejudice needs to be set aside to achieve justice. The courage of a single juror to stand up against opposing views is laudable and was the key to making an impactful and significant change in someone else's life.