FILM STUDY GUIDE SERIES

12 Angry Menby

Sidney Lumet

Sen Conlan M.A., H. Dip. Ed.

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PUBLICATIONS

12 Angry Men, 1957, US, (Approx. 92 minutes), directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by

These notes are available in hard copy for purchase in class sets.

Sen Conlan 2009 (Revised)

Also available in this series and specially prepared for the RevisedLeaving Certificate English Comparative Study

Available as photocopiable resources comprising Student's Guideand Teacher's Commentary, and suitable for study at

Junior Certificate, Transition Year, L.C.A. or VTOS levels

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CONTENTS

General Introduction to the Leaving Certificate Series 3

How to use this Study Guide 3

The Director and 12 Angry Men 4Cast 4Credits 4

The Comparative Study - Stage 1Sequences for study 5Assignments for your Response Journal

Sequence 1 6Sequence 2 7Sequence 3 8Sequence 4 9Sequence 5 9Sequence 6 10Sequence 7 11Sequence 8 12Sequence 9 12Sequence 10 13

The Comparative Study - Stages 2 & 3The Comparative Modes 14The Comparative Study - Summary and Suggestions 15The Discourse of Film 15Imagery 16Re-reading Twelve Angry Men in the Prescribed Modes

Hero/Heroine/Villain (O) 17Aspects of Story:Tension or Climax or Resolution (O) 17Theme or Issue (O/H) 18Relationships (O): Sample Theme/Issue H) 19Social Setting/Cultural Context (O/H) 19Literary Genre (H) 20General Vision and Viewpoint (H) 22

Glossary of Film and Critical Terms 23

GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE SERIES

These Film Study Guides have been designed with the Revised Leaving CertificateEnglish Syllabus in mind. Film is one option in the Comparative Study. TheGuidelines issued by the Department of Education and Science to all Englishteachers indicate that there are three stages involved for each text chosen for thissection of the course:

reading for story,reading for study in a specific mode, andreading for comparison in the other two modes.

For the first stage they recommend that the text should be read over a two to threeweek period. The teacher is advised to set assignments to guide the student'sreading and to highlight features of the text. They also recommend that studentsshould keep a Response Journal during this reading. The method laid out in thisStudy Guide facilitates this approach.

HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDEThe film should be watched, ideally, in its entirety as a first viewing. It can then bewatched in sequences of roughly ten to fifteen minutes duration, as laid out in thisStudy Guide. For each sequence questions have been formulated to guide yourviewing. Aspects of the film are explored to get you to engage with the text. Eachclass period should follow this pattern:

read the questions marked 'RJ' for the sequence in hand. (More ofthe questions, or all of them, might be taken depending on theamount of time available.)

watch the sequence discuss the points raised in the questions answer the questions as writing assignments.

The resulting Response Journal will be an invaluable source of material forre-reading the film in the prescribed modes and for revision in the second year ofthe Leaving Certificate cycle.

At the end of twelve or thirteen class periods students using these notes properlywill have engaged with the film, they will be familiar with it and will be ready forthe second stage in the Comparative Study, the selective re-reading of keymoments in one of the three modes prescribed.

With this in mind, detailed suggestions are given for work in the various modesprescribed for the Comparative Study at Higher and Ordinary levels.

CAST

Juror #8Juror #3Juror #10Juror #4Juror #7Juror #1Juror #2Juror #5Juror #6Juror #9

Juror #11Juror #12

Henry FondaLee J. CobbEd BegleyEG MarshallJack WardenMartin BalsamJohn FiedlerJack KlugmanEsward BinnsJoseph SweeneyGeorge VoskovacRobert Webber

Sidney LumetHenry Fonda & Reginald RoseReginald RoseBoris KaufmanCarl LernerKenyon Hopkins

DirectorProducer

ScreenplayDirector of Photography

EditorMusic

CREDITS

THE COMPARATIVE STUDYStage One

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Sidney Lumet and 12 Angry MenSidney Lumet was born in Philadelphia in 1924. He worked in television drama ascameraman and then director at a time when the plays were broadcast live. 12Angry Men was his first venture into feature films. It was an impressive debut andwon him Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Film and Best Screenplay.Since then he has gone on to direct more than 40 films including The Pawnbroker,Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Equus and Running on Empty. Hereceived a lifetime achievement award at the Oscars ceremony in 2005.

12 Angry Men was written as a teleplay for the series Studio One in 1954 byReginald Rose. At the request of Henry Fonda he adapted it for the big screen.Jurors #10 and #12, Joseph Sweeney and George Voskovac, appeared in bothproductions. Then, in 1962, Rose re-wrote it as a stage play.

READING 12 Angry Men AS A TEXTWatch the film through from start to finish and discuss it in a general way with your class-mates. Then spend one class period on each sequence using the following method:

SEQUENCES FOR STUDYSEQUENCE 1 INTRODUCING THE JURYLet the film roll until the old man is helped to his seat

(10 min's)

SEQUENCE 2 THE JURORS HAVE THEIR SAY ILet the film roll until Juror #3 says "Well, let's get going!" (10 min's)

SEQUENCE 3 THE JURORS HAVE THEIR SAY IILet the film roll until the foreman says "... are only slowing us up." ( 9 min's)

SEQUENCE 4 STANDING ALONELet the film roll until Juror #6 says "... really did knife his father." ( 7 min's)

SEQUENCE 5 "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" ILet the film roll until Juror #7 says "Will you look at the time!" ( 9 min's)

SEQUENCE 6 "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" IILet the film roll until the jurors all laugh (13 min's)

SEQUENCE 7 THE ROOM HEATS UPLet the film roll until Juror #12 says "OK with me!" (10 min's)

SEQUENCE 8 USING THE KNIFELet the film roll until Juror #8 says "... unless it's sure" ( 8 min's)

SEQUENCE 9 A REASONABLE MAN'S DOUBTLet the film roll until Juror #2 says "... all the other evidence." ( 8 min's)

SEQUENCE 10 "ROTTEN KIDS!"Let the film roll until the end ( 6 min's)

Read the questions for the sequence

Watch the sequence with the questions in mind

Discuss possible answers to these questions

Write up your answers to the questions in your Response Journal(Those marked RJ, at least)

been in this interior scene? Can youthink of any symbolic reading for thisopening sequence?

What impression of the judgedo you form as he gives thejury its final instructions?Look carefully at the actions of thejurors as the judge addresses them. Doyou get an indication of what any ofthem are thinking?

What phrase is repeated three times bythe judge as the camera tracks acrossthe jury from right to left? What is thereaction to the phrase "in good con-science" and the word "mercy"? Whatimpression do you form of the man inthe frame? What kind of a responsi-bility are the jurors faced with?

How do the jurors act as they areleaving the court? When does themusic start on the soundtrack? Howwould you describe this music? Howis the accused photographed?

What impressions do you form as thejurors enter the jury room? How arethey photographed? What have they incommon? Does anyone behave in adifferent way to the others? Describethe actions of the man standing underthe fan? Why does he go to the backof the room? What does the man usingthe handkerchief bring from the cornerof the room? What might these actionstell us about each man? What impres-sion do you form of the man who triesto get the fan working? What does hedo with the wrapping off his gum?

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