(TV Film Made in 1997 )
Stars : Jack Lemmon, George C Scott & Others
Watch on : Prime Video
Most films are watched for entertainment, excitement, fun or relaxation and even for the messages they carry but few films can match the kind of education one can get from such a riveting movie that’s almost like a taut two hour play where every scene is a revelation and calls for reflection. In fact the version we saw now was made in 1997 but I learnt the same movie was first produced in 1957 with Henry Fonda in the lead !
The film asks questions of the legal system that’s debated on the seemingly open and shut case of a teenage boy accused of committing the crime of murdering his father. The presiding judge advises the jury to consider all the evidence and pronounce the ‘guilty’ verdict ( that will result in life or death sentence) only if it’s beyond reasonable doubt.Twelve jurors of different ages, colour, creed, backgrounds have been given the task. They retire to the jury room and deliberate to decide what the verdict should be.
It’s a hot day and steamy inside the jury room and some jurors wish to get the matter over with in a jiffy and almost everyone agrees that there’s everything to point towards the boy as guilty. However, a lone hand of one mid-aged gentleman is raised against the vote for guilty. Asked how he’s convinced of boy’s innocence his cryptic reply is ‘I don’t know, but I want to discuss the entire evidence – isn’t that why we are here ?’. I will not elaborate further on what happens next, but it keeps us hooked till the end !
As a professional trainer once involved in taking sessions on leadership/management also, let me confess, that apart from the persuasive arguments and counter questions that follow legal cases,the screenplay and dialogues of the film have enough gravity and substance in them that can be lessons in communication skills, art of negotiating, logical reasoning, empathetic listening, reading between the lines & decision making !
I dwell on the learning part because the theme was adapted into a captivating Hindi film ‘Ek Ruka Hua Faisla’ by Basu Chatterji in 1986 with all star cast of MK Raina, Pankaj Kapoor, Annu Kapoor & others and during my stint as a Faculty Member in the BOB Training Centre In Lucknow, we’d show the film to our trainees & take their feedback. At the time, I hadn’t seen ‘Twelve Angry Jurors’ but having watched it, I found that two films were virtually a copy of the other, yet both excellent in execution.
Besides other remarkable aspects of the movie, watch the marvellous performances of the two principal characters played by Jack Lemmon and George C Scott. Others too !
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