Story and Screenplay: Reginald Rose
Director: Sidney Lumet
Produced by: Henry Fonda & Reginald Rose
Hi All,
This thursday we will gather at Mahshid's place in Sunnyvale. Sayeh will introduce an excellent movie that will be a perfect learning experience for our group. You probably saw the quote from Mercury News that Shahram sent on the movie. Here's some information on this movie production:
Story and Screenplay: Reginald Rose
Director: Sidney Lumet
Produced by: Henry Fonda & Reginald Rose
Cast:
Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden
Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney,
George Voskovec, Robert Webber
"Twelve Angry Men" is a movie about twelve jurers that have seen all of the evidence, and heard all of the testimonies about a murder case, and are about to make a decision about the verdict. The movie is based on a play by the same name. It is a rather old movie, and requires a quiet audience all the way through. The focus of the movie is mostly on how the members of the group act towards each other. Things to watch for are the individuals' reactions to the decision they believe to be the majoritie's decision, and how they treat someone who does not agree with this decision. It shows the weaknesses and the strenghts of making a group decision as opposed to an individual decision. Also, it shows that each person brings their own personal feelings and experiences into the group, and how these will affect the group."
Foroozan
With a close shot of the magnificent Court Palace, we pass through the court hallways and enter a court room where a judge is giving his closing speech to an all-white jury: a premeditated murder case... a father has been stabbed by his son in the chest... another life is at stake... . The jury stands up and leaves the room to decide whether or not the boy is guilty. Every body takes a last look at the the boy's face, and so do we: a skinny suffered face with big innocent dark eyes... and a sad music starts the movie.
For the rest of the movie, we are inside a hot room with the "twelve angry men". Everybody is sweating and, though there is a fan in the room, nobody sees it: everybody is in a hurry and believes they are going to leave soon after the vote. It is not hard to realize that one of the jurors - Henry Fonda - is totally different from others: Standing alone at the window, he looks like he is lost in another world.
Soon voting begins: 11 guilty, 1 not-guilty! And then there are rounds of discussions, fights, even insults among jurors. Each time another vote is taken: 10 guilty, 2 not-guilty. More discussions. 8 versus 4 ... 6 against 6 ... 11 to 1 and finally 12 not-guilty. During all this, we get to know the character of each of the jurors, and the miserable life of the boy.
The movie ends with Henry Fonda saying good-bye to another juror at the stairs of the court.
-JF
ps.
I didnt talk about the characters of the jurors here which was the
main point of the movie, mainly because it is lunch time and I am
really starving!
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