Why Juror #8 From 12 Angry Men (1957) Is My Ultimate Movie Hero
The dissenting voice in one of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time.
A few years ago, I did a rather ambitious thing on my classic movie blog The Old Hollywood Garden. I ranked my favourite Angry Men, from 12th to 1st, one for each month of the year. Starting in January, number 12 was Juror 2, played by John Fiedler. And ending in December, my number 1, SPOILER, was Juror 8, played by the great Henry Fonda. I realized that not only is Juror 8 my favourite Angry Man, but he is also my favorite movie hero.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Directed by Sidney Lumet, and written by Reginald Rose based on his own teleplay, 12 Angry Men (1957) follows 12 jurors as they deliberate on whether or not an 18-year-old kid stabbed his father to death. One by one, they cast their vote. Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty… not guilty. The one dissenting vote belongs to Juror 8. And, as they all well know, they must be unanimous. So, they discuss this seemingly obvious case…
We learn about each of the members’ personal lives, opinions, and stances on several issues, and we slowly start to understand why they voted the way they did. Some of them change their minds, some don’t, they argue, they disagree, they share bonding moments……
