Analysis of Group Communication in 12 Angry Men

Analysis of Group Communication in 12 Angry Men
‘12 Angry Men’ is a 1957 American Drama that revolves around a jury of 12 men who come
together and decide the destiny of a minor, whether guilty or not. The 18-year-old boy is
accused of killing his father and a guilty verdict means a death sentence. The case seems to be
open-and-shut until one of the 12 jurors votes non-guilty. When a verdict is being made, there
should be no slight doubt about the accused, and everyone should have voted the same.
Henry Fonda, the 8th Juror, is the only one to openly vote non-guilty admitting that he does not
know if the accused is guilty or not guilty. He thinks that the evidence is not enough to end
somebody’s life and simply proposes to discuss the same so that a fair judgement is made. As
the discussion begins, we not only see the jurors discussing about the case, but we also study
their complex personalities and the personal baggage that each juror brings to the room. Right
from the sensitive one, the loudmouth, the aggressive, the snob to the thinker, every character
is portrayed very well.
In the beginning of the film, we see that the jurors argue and try to decide based on the
evidences and the testimonies put forth in the courtroom. Later, their arguments seemed to be
more personal and were associated with their past experiences. They were more concerned
about proving each other wrong rather than proving the accused guilty or not guilty.
There are three main themes- Justice, Class, and Innocence. All three are interrelated, playing
off each other as the jury reflects. In their hands, justice seems fragile as the men just want to
go home. The film also emphasizes on how the human life is important, how we should be
careful about the consequences of our actions, critical thinking, and the nature of group
communication.
Group communication is a crucial component to reach a desired goal. The way in which we
communicate in a group affects the progress of the team and the decision-making process.
Different groups have different characteristics, they serve different purposes, and can lead to
positive, neutral, or negative experiences. While our interpersonal relationships primarily focus
on relationship building, small groups usually focus on some sort of task completion or goal
accomplishment. Group Communication is defined as, “a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and a
common approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable” (Katzenbach and
Smith, 1986. The Wisdom of Teams, Harvard Business Review Press).
According to me, dominant areas of group communication are underlined in the film.
Identity
The different personalities and backgrounds of the jurors impact the way they communicate.
Juror 4 is a stockbroker and therefore, he pays attention to small details and analyses and
studies the situation in depth. Unlike others, he is the only one who thinks that the accused is
guilty, based on the evidence rather than that of personal bias. Juror 11 is the only foreigner,
and we see him appreciate freedom more than anyone else in the group. He reminds the other
jurors about how important it is for them to reach a verdict that is fair.
Effective Listening
Listening is an integral component of communication. While communicating in a group,

everybody should be given a fair chance to speak and they need to feel heard. It helps in giving
constructive feedbacks and provide alternate solutions to the problem.
“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply,”
said Stephen R. Covey. Initially, every Juror was given a fair chance to express their views. But,
as the movie continues, we see that the flow of the discussion is interrupted when Juror 9 is
disturbed by Juror 3 as he does not want to listen to him.
We also see that Juror 3, who is the antagonist of the movie is very short-tempered and is often
aggressive when the jurors do not agree to his opinions. He does not listen to understand but
listens to reply. He is also very biased in his decision due to his poor relationship with his own
son.
Conflict
Conflict may arise due to various reasons. There may be difference in opinion, lack of
communication, misunderstanding, different backgrounds or the way one perceives a message.
We see that the jurors find themselves in conflict several times. This is due to their relaxed
behavior with respect to the situation.
For example - Juror 7 kept referring to his baseball game and was constantly distracted, while
Juror 3 was busy imposing his opinions on others and we also see him play Sudoku with Juror
12 which overall led to distraction from their goal.
Another example of conflict can be seen in the movie when Juror 10 puts forth his opinions
about the defendant and his prejudice towards slums about how meaningless their lives are
and how they don’t have feelings and don’t need a reason to kill. He continues to speak even
though no one agrees or acknowledges his opinions. Later, he ends up sitting in a corner with
his head down in shame. He is also very quick to point out that “we” do not owe him anything.
Leadership
Henry Fonda is the best example when it comes to leadership. He is the protagonist in the
movie and does not hurry while taking a decision as he understands the importance of human
life. He considers other people’s opinions and does not force his own. He was the only one to
vote the defendant not guilty and supported his decision by putting forth his perspective. He
stands by his beliefs, fights for what the truth is and prevails justice. By the end of the movie, he
gets all of them to change their vote to not guilty.
Communication is the best when it does not obstruct or distort the free flow of ideas.
Through this film, we understand how effective group communication plays an important role
in making quality decisions. The capability of one man to stand up against eleven others to
serve justice is inspiring and leaves us with a thought that great things arise out of different
perspectives.
References
Understanding Group Communication - https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/13-

1-understanding-small-groups/
E.Griffin.A.Ledbetter.G.Sparks - Group communication
Jack’s movie reviews: 12 Angry Men- The value of Human Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLFeLV9QS-8
Character Descriptions- https://www.madison-

schools.com/cms/lib9/MS01001041/Centricity/Domain/3828/12%20Angry%20Men%20juror%2
0descriptions.pdf
IMDb Reviews- 12 Angry Men

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/?ref_=ttmi_tt

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Analysis of Group Communication in 12 Angry Men

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Analysis of Group Communication in 12 Angry Men

Listening is an integral component of communication. While communicating in a group,

Understanding Group Communication - https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/13-

E.Griffin.A.Ledbetter.G.Sparks - Group communication

Jack’s movie reviews: 12 Angry Men- The value of Human Life

Character Descriptions- https://www.madison-

IMDb Reviews- 12 Angry Men

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