Stereotypes In 12 Angry Men

The Internet Movie Database, commonly known as IMDb, is one of the largest film rating site and widely used by critiques all over the world. 12 Angry Men currently ranks number six of over three million titles in IMDb’s database, which is a nearly impossible feat to achieve with only 19 days of shooting. Although shot in black and white and being restricted to a single room, the director, Sidney Lumet, captures the essence of different cross-sections of American attitudes using color and logos. Lumet’s brilliant use of color, coupled with the exceptional acting of Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Warden, perfectly embodies three major American attitudes which we see everyday; furthermore, his use of logos not only reverses the overwhelming tide in the film but also draws the viewing

The jury is then dismissed to a room in which all but one juror votes guilty in favor of the death sentence. Henry Fonda, the sole juror voting not guilty, uses a mixture of persuasive appeals to slowly convince the other jurors, yet none more effectively than logos. The shift in momentum towards a not guilty verdict occurs when Fonda begins to discredit the old man’s testimony. The logical approach that Fonda takes, mapping out the old man’s room, counting the seconds, and reenacting the scene, not only begins to convince the other jurors but also the viewers of the film, which is equally, if not more important. The fact that the director choses not to show what really happened with the boys father, means that the audience also had to be convinced of the boys innocence, if not convinced, may not have seen this level of success. Fonda’s methodical and logical approach in persuasion successfully convinces the jurors along with the