Introduction
The 12 Angry Men movie is one of the greatest films in American cinema history. The movie was released in 1957 and features a classic American courtroom drama film written by Reginald Rose and directed by Sidney Lumet (mcgrewbruyt01 drum, n.d.). The paper aims to analyze the movie as it largely explores and features group dynamics, making it a favored subject for academic study and analysis. The film is centered around a group of jurors entrusted with the responsibility of defining the destiny of a young man indicted of murder.
Group Dynamics in the Movie
The juror manifests the desire to work collaboratively, representing the key concept of groupthink. The strategy characterizes the tendency of a group to accept m the member’s dominant stances and opinions. The movie highlights the impact of groupthink on the jurors’ decision-making process, given that the jurors were initially split on the guilt or innocence of the defendant (Valenzano et al., 2016). The collective deliberation on the subject caused the jurors to embrace the contentions of the more dominant members of the group. The development caused several jurors to change their vote despite having reservations regarding the evidence.
Group Goal and Task
The jury in the 12 Angry Men movie carries the responsibility of determining whether the young man was guilty of murdering his father or not. They set out to make a unanimous decision based on the facts and evidence produced in court during the trial. Initially, the jurors were inclined toward delivering a guilty verdict.
However, juror eight raises objections and demands that the evidence be re-examined along with the motives of the witnesses. The turn of events causes the goal of the jurors to turn towards a relook at the evidence before settling on an informed decision instead of basing the case on preconceptions and individual prejudices. The ultimate objective becomes ensuring that justice is delivered fairly, which underscores the task that the judicial system must properly evaluate a case before arriving at a conclusion.
Personality Traits
The jury comprises individuals who manifest different attributes and have diverse and complex personalities. Juror one leads the jury and is tasked with organizing the team and ensuring they remain on track in delivering their mandate. He manifests a respectful character and is focused on ensuring the goal of the jury is accomplished effectively.
The second juror is a meek and shy bank clerk who needs to be more confident as other people’s opinions easily sway him. Juror three is a business person and is hard-headed. He cannot agree with his son, and despite agreeing that the defendant is guilty, he becomes highly agitated as the jury delved further into the case.
Juror four is an analytical stockbroker who applies logic in evaluating the facts and evidence. Even though he initially considered the young man guilty, he is ready to admit new facts and weigh alternative viewpoints. The fifth juror is a young man from a poor background and a violent past. The poor background makes him feel intimidated by the other jurors, but he becomes more confident as the jury focuses deeply on the case.
Juror six has worked in construction and painting and seems quiet and reserved. He eventually comes out to express his opinions as the jury deliberates on the case. The seventh jury has worked as a salesman and is loathsome and loud. He mainly wants to leave the courtroom to attend a baseball game. Juror seven also returns a guilty verdict for the defendant, but he changes his position after deliberations on the case.
Juror eight is the lead character in the movie and is the only one who returned a not-guilty verdict in the first round. He acts reasonably, is calm, compassionate, and devoted to guaranteeing a fair trial for the young man. Juror nine is elderly and experienced in life, which makes him appreciate the need to follow due process. He is respectful, thoughtful, and willing to entertain alternative perspectives.
Juror ten is filled with anger and bitterness; he is intolerant and cannot control his emotions. He is biased against the young man because of his race and poor background. Juror eleven is devoted to following due process. The European immigrant is willing to accommodate alternative views, is thoughtful and respectful, and cherishes the American justice system. The last juror is involved in business and aims to impress others with his expertise. He is simple but flip-flops in that he does not respect the deliberations held by the team.
Group Leadership
Juror eight is the group leader who uses his leadership abilities to guide the jury through the thinking process and decision-making effectively. The role is played by Henry Fonda, who leads the team by being transformed. Valenzano et al. (2016) state that transformational leadership helps ensure disagreements are handled through consensus and agreement. He is also democratic and favors open deliberations and input from all jurors. He also supports and inspires the team to share their sentiments and consider all facts and evidence of the case more keenly to ensure that the defendant gets a fair determination.
Juror eight remains calm and composed despite facing strong resistance and opposition from the other jurors. He is open to considering all possibilities and viewpoints before making a decision. He is also empathetic to the defendant and courageously stands up for his beliefs, notwithstanding the pressure and hostility from colleagues.
Conflicts Encountered
Conflicts are daily and are part of humanity, given people’s diverse views on a particular issue. The movie is no exception, and several conflicts occur owing to differences in opinions, values, and beliefs among the jurors. The group’s first conflict is settling on the guilt or innocence of the young man accused of murder.
The jurors are divided over whether he is guilty, but the matter is handled through deliberation facilitated by discussions on the arguments presented and evidence. The group encounters problems as some jurors have personal biases and prejudices that affect their judgment. For example, one juror is biased against the accused because of his background and race. This conflict is resolved when the other jurors challenge and question the biased juror’s assumptions and prejudices.
Additionally, the jurors hold different views on the credibility of witnesses, with some being cynical of certain witnesses. This matter is settled when the jurors review evidence and arguments that either support or challenge the credibility of the witnesses. The jurors further disagree on the fairness of the trial process based on the actions manifest by the prosecution and police.
This conflict is resolved when the jurors discuss the evidence and arguments for and against the fairness of the trial. Communication review plays a key role in conflict resolution, where the jurors engage in active listening, dialogue, and negotiation (Valenzano et al., 2016). This enables them to focus on keenly evaluating the evidence and arguments presented.
Mission and Purpose Completion
In the movie 12 Angry Men, the jury set out to define whether the young man accused of murdering his father was guilty. Under the leadership of juror eight (Henry Fonda), the group succeeded in making a ruling. Juror eight was convinced that the young man was not guilty and managed to lead and prevail upon the other jurors to rethink their positions and vote the same. He remained calm but made reasonable arguments to convince his colleagues to re-examine the evidence and consider the reasonable doubt in the case. In the end, the majority of the jurors agreed with him, and the defendant was acquitted. In the process, the group’s mission and purpose were accomplished.
Conclusion
The movie is a powerful exploration of the dynamics of group decision-making and the role that individual personalities and biases can play in shaping the outcome of a trial. Juror eight is tasked with leading the team through transformation, inspiration, and being democratic to ensure the group remains united and settles on a fair conclusion. The group encounters several conflicts involving the facts and evidence of the case, individual assumptions and biases, and trial fairness. The conflict is settled by carefully evaluating the evidence and arguments presented, communicating effectively, and working together to deliver justice to the accused.
Several lessons learned from the movie can be applied in life. It mainly teaches the importance of fairness in delivering justice, which is important in ensuring every person is objective in making a decision likely to affect the life of another individual. Due process must be followed to ensure all facts are considered before deciding. It teaches that leadership and conflict management are important elements of humanity. People have different personalities that should be well managed daily to achieve objectives and settle any differences and disagreements that can arise.
References
Valenzano, M, J., Broeckelman-Post, M. A., & Parcell, E.S. (2016). Communication pathways. Fountainhead Press.
mcgrewbruyt01 drum (n.d.). 12 angry men [Video]. YouTube. Web.