A Jury between Fact and Norm

With a great cast, 12 Angry Men remains perhaps the most compelling portrayal of an American jury in action. I begin by noting eight details in the film which are so obvious that their significance may be difficult to discern. I then discuss the significance of the film being a drama, indeed, a drama about a drama. I discuss the kind of truth that a dramatic portrayal of the jury can aspire to and what it can add to social scientific accounts.

Finally, I identify the six dramatic tensions that define the film's meaning.