آفاق سينمائية
Volume 9, Numéro 1, Pages 96-111
2022-06-10

Reading Twelve Angry Men From The Prism Of Crowd Psychology

Authors : Merah Mohamed Kheir Eddine . Haddouche Fethi .

Abstract

The rivalry between the One and the Many is a recurrent debate in American history. The Legal System is a sphere that crystallizes this rivalry. While the Jury System is a preserved institution in the American Constitution, the frequent scandalous performances of jury members contradict their idealized position as independent protectors of Justice and Liberty. Sidney Lumet’s Twelve Angry Men offers a cinematic view from within this institution. The following paper aims at analyzing this movie from a less-visited perspective. With a chief reliance on Le Bonian views on Crowd/Group Psychology and Žižekean/Benjaminian postulations on Violence, this research essays to divulge the dynamics of group inherent to jury deliberations. Issues of unconsciousness, racial/emotional biases, leadership, manipulation of the group, and violence will be highlighted in this article.

Keywords

Crowd Psychology ; Collective Mind ; Leadership ; Unconsciousness ; Violence