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The movie Twelve Angry Men begins with an eighteen year old boy
from the
ghetto who is on trial for the murder of his abusive father. A jury
of twelve
men are locked in the deliberation room to decide the fate of the young
boy.
All evidence is against the boy and a guilty verdict would send him to
die in
the electric chair. The judge informs the jurors that they are faced
with a
grave decision and that the court would not entertain any acts of mercy
for the
boy if found guilty.
The character with the largest hidden window is the boy on trial.
Realizing
this, Henry Fonda (Juror #8) tries to put himself in the boys shoes to
gain a
better understanding of his situation. “The poor boy has been beaten on
the head
once a day every day since he was five years old!” and “I think if I
were the
boy I'd get myself a better lawyer... He didn't stand a chance in
there.” In
this case one can only speculate as to the contents of the boys hidden
area.
The important factor is his desire to comprehend the boys feelings.
Every man has the right to a fair trial, most would love the right
to this
jury. As the movie closes the not guilty verdict is handed down. It is
not
known if the boy is guilty or innocent, that will forever remain in his
hidden
area. Henry Fonda (Juror #8) entered the trial with an open mind, he
managed to
convince the others to do the same. The movie illustrates that
everything is
not what it appears to be. Being aware of this is the first step to
better
understanding.