12 Angry Men Movie Review

Group dynamics deals with function, structure and processes of a group (Forsyth, 2006).  In the classic film 12 Angry Men, group dynamics is evinced through a jury deliberation.  Twelve men comprised the jury and are instructed to reach a verdict in a case involving an 18 year old man accused of murdering his father (Ford, Rose, & Lumet, 1957). Although some aspects of group dynamics are demonstrated in the film, e.g. cohesiveness, trust, nature and degree of communication, formal and informal roles, rules and norms, and history of treatment, it is the aspect of group decision making that stands out. For one, the jury has to reach a decision and the decision who should unanimous.  At the start of the deliberation, personality conflict is present, making group decision an arduous process.

 They go through an initial voting, which Juror # 8 dissents for he believes that the accused deserves a fair deliberation and that they should discuss all evidence presented (1957). At the initial voting, only Juror #8 voted “ not guilty” to the exasperation of Jurors # 3, and 10 (1957).  Juror# 8 says that he does not know if the accused is guilty or not but he wants to discuss the facts before arriving at a decision for at stake is a young man’s future.  As deliberations proceed, decision making is reached only after each has managed to overcome their personal conflicts and prejudices. Decision is reached after a laborious concerted on the part of everybody as opposed to an authoritarian decision.

In my group, this has also been the trend. Decisions are reached after deliberations on the part of group members. It is better to arrive at a consensus rather than dictate a biased judgment for it allows everyone’s voices to be heard.  Additionally, decisions arrived consensually eliminate individual responsibility. As a group, each member is held accountable for the group’s action, whether good or bad so it is best to find a middle ground.

References:

Ford, H. & Rose, R. (Producers), & Lumet, S. (Director).  (1957). 12 Angry Men

            [ Motion picture].  United States: Unite Artists.

Forsyth, D. (2006). Group Dynamics (4^th Ed.). USA: Wadsworth Publishing.