Movie Analysis: 12 Angry Men

A group is defined as “a collection of two or more interacting individuals who maintain a stable patterns of relationship, share common goals, and perceive themselves as being a group.” (Greenberg, p. 251). In the movie 12 Angry men (1957), twelve random jurors converge to form a jury committee. They are tasked with an important job of preparing a verdict in the case of sixteen-year-old teenager, who is accused with first degree murder of his father. They are to “separate facts from fancy” and “under good conscience”, reach at a decision of ether “guilty” or “not-guilty” unanimously. If pronounced guilty by the jury committee, the defendant faces a compulsory death sentence from which there is no excuse by law. In this movie, we look into how …show more content…
However, juror number eight was able to see past the stereotypes attached to the defendant. Free of bias and believed in fairness and justice. He said, “It doesn’t matter what kind of person he is…we owe him a few words is all.” He understood that prejudice endangers the process of a fair trial and makes a profound statement when he said, it’s very hard to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. The jury was able to overcome their prejudice and stereotyping to recognize the gravity of their purpose.
The movie 12 Angry Men, eloquently displays the role and effectiveness of a group that have come together for a specific goal. It illustrates how the group dynamics of this group, the role of decision making, conflict and stereotypes challenges they face in a temporary cross-cultural group can hamper the goal of the group. The movie further demonstrates how each of the challenges can be overcome with effective team building, clarifying goals and formulating operating guidelines while engaging in an active negotiation to manage