How 12 Angry Men breaks all the screenwriting rules
2024 ж. 18 Мам.
78 155 Рет қаралды
This video essay explores the brilliant screenwriting tips in 12 ANGRY MEN (1957), an outstanding screenplay written by screenwriter Reginald Rose.
Screenwriting Tips in 12 ANGRY MEN:
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Rules of the Game
01:39 - Sequences
07:00 - Witty Comebacks
08:33 - Reveal Character
14:06 - Self-Defeating Arguments
16:24 - Breaking the Rules
18:12 - Engage the Audience
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#screenwriting #12AngryMen
This channel is a gold mine sitting in a little corner of the web in wait of writers to stumble across it, while seeking to hone their understanding of craft! Thank you for the detailed, great analytical work, which remains clear and concise throughout. It breaks down the complex and makes it more accessible to all!
Thanks for the great comment, Issa. Please spread the word to your friends!
@@ScriptSleuth I have. To any writer friend whose work I edit, especially on dialogue, I direct them towards your videos. By the way, are you on any social media platforms? I will follow you there, if you are.
@@idioume1 Thanks. Yup, just go to @scriptsleuth on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.
What high high praise, and well deserved as well. Excellent channel and excellent comment.
@@ScriptSleuth Well earned feedback. How are you?
It is unbelievable that a film largely taking place in one room is 5th on the IMDB ratings list, 100% on RT and nearly perfect on Metacritic. A true testament to the writing and acting. Henry Fonda what a genius he was.
Yes, and let's not forget the screenwriter, Reginald Rose. Supposedly he took a lot of real-life conflict he witnessed while he served jury duty.
@@ScriptSleuth woah, this is legally accurate too?
The remake is also a valuable one.
It might sound weird but I was a bartender outside of Vegas for almost 12 years, and two of my favorite customers said this was their favorite movie of all time. I’m only 37 so obviously the customers were older then me but I’ve been saving this movie for a long time. Because I know I’m gonna love be it and I can’t pick a good time to watch it. For context for my age I love older movies because of my mom and dad, Lawrence of Arabia, Casablanca, 10 Commandments so almost anything with Charlton Heston or Peter O’Toole.
@@alexsalari2014 Newer ones are good, too.
The actors in this movie were perfect, I literally can't imagine anyone else in their roles
@@roshnisadh721?
I've seen it on stage 3 times with very well know actors and although the stage versions are good they don't come close to the acting in the film...
@@duncanholding7636 I've seen it twice on stage and agree ..nothing comes close to the original film ...
I think this film should be used when teaching character orchestration, you can easily tell who each juror is, despite their character names being so similar
Exactly!
The hidden gem of KZhead's script channels.
Cheers, Jere!
Holy crap! I didn't even notice Ive been binged a bunch of his videos and I assumed they were getting 100k plus view at LEAST omg. Definately going to be telling everyone who'd be interested about this channel!!
@@MrSuperGeekster that's poor observation skills, my friend
Saw this film 30 years ago and it has been my favourite film ever since. Unbeatable.
@@roshnisadh721 What are you even saying in every post? Every one you answer has already seen the film.
One more point could be added in self-defeating argument section , its the point when juror#3 is angry and picks up the knife and yells the father was murdered with this knife, and juror#2 tells him "that's not the knife, don't you remember?"
Yes! Great catch. If I talked about all of the amazing details in this movie, it would be a ten-hour long video! 😅
One of the greatest films. Ever.
I really can't argue with that statement!
Little wonder why Hank Fonda chose this film as one of the very few of his pictures that he would love to be preserved in a time capsule. He mentioned that to Dick Cavett in an interview from April 1972 ( available on KZhead)...What an impeccable actor he was...exceptionally refined painter also...
This was also the first and last time he produced a film personally: he hated the experience, tho he was very proud of the final product.
I first saw this movie almost 50 years ago and it instantly became my second favourite behind Gone With The Wind. I watched it as recently as a month ago and it still astonishes me with it's brilliance.
I never get tired of seeing it!
Interesting that you mention Gone With the Wind. I just came here after watching a video here on YT titled "12 Angry Men AFI "#87". On of the two hosts there really trashes down on GWTW.
Blasphemy! The movie is amazing.
I love how you list all the different screenwriting rules that 12 Angry Men breaks! This film has such a clever, intimate and beautifully written screenplay, and it blows my mind the more I watch it! For Sidney Lumet’s directorial debut, this is tremendous, and what a script to work with! Thank you for a great insight into the screenplay for this masterpiece of cinema. It’s just one of a kind :)
Hey! Thanks for watching, and leaving the great comment! This film is one of my absolute favorites.
Johnny Depp's judge, in her instructions to the jury, just advised them against straw polls as that tends to harden their positions. So true.
Self- defeating arguments. Yes! I used to use this film in my writing classes to teach my students how to identify and avoid logical fallacies. Such a classic film.
Nice!
This film could not be made today as 12 actors of this stature and ability simply do not exist. RIP Ray Liotta
Was ray Liotta in a version of this movie?
@@TomEyeTheSFMguy not that I know of
15:25 - the rant about "He was an old man! Half the time he was confused!..." and the camera tightened to show only that juror and the oldest man in the room.
Just genius all around!
Excellent video!! I’d like to add to the Engaging Audiences section that when Juror 9 admits to writing down not guilty and then asks, if you’d like him to tell you why. He says all of this while looking at the camera, so he’s literally asking the audience, if they’d like him to tell them why he did, and of course the audience would want to know.
Yes! I love that scene.
Been my favourite film since I was about 13 .... I'm 63 now and never seen anything to touch it.
It's a movie that has stuck with me as well. I recommend it to everybody I can.
Juror 8: what movie did you last see? Me: harry potter and the philosopher's stone Juror 8: who was in it? Me: ok, here we go...
Great points as always! When you mentioned about the screenplay breaking all the rules, like talking heads sitting around a table, I think the setting allows them to get away with this. First, we know right from the beginning that the case is literally a matter of life and death for the accused, so the stakes are huge. Secondly, we know that in a court case a decision has to be made, so there is [most likely] a definitive conclusion to come, which is hopefully worth waiting for. I also think the self defeating arguments are additional satisfaction for the audience, since they are engaged in forming their own opinion [and most likely siding with Juror #8], and trying to guess what the outcome will be.
Thanks for the comment!
Brilliant use of movement of actors and camera angles within the confines of a single room (not counting the courtroom & bathroom) too. They take turns shifting positions, move to the window, water cooler, turn away from the bigot then return one by one, etc. By the end, we’re feeling a little sweaty and claustrophobic as well.
the comebacks are timeless. they feel like twitter ratios
How about reviewing ' The Scarlet Circle '
I first saw this on late night network TV in the mid 70s. Me and my Dad. I was transfixed immediately. Still in my top 3 of all time favorites.
One of those movies where you don't even get up to go to the bathroom!
I have watched this remarkable film over fifty times. At the outset, even the judge's instructions to the jury seem to telegraph his own thoughts on the guilt of the boy. Many lawyers have commented that jury selection criteria would have vetoed some of the twelve men. The bigot uppermost of all. However, for dramatic purposes, his inclusion was a fundamental aspect of the dialogue. Your clip is a marvelous dissection of screenwriting. Kudos!
Thanks for the great comment, James!
27,000 USD in 1957 is equivalent to rough 286,000 USD today. That's some expensive marmalade.
I've seen The Godfather, Casablanca, Psycho, Singing in the Rain, Barry Lyndon, and a few others that people regard as the best. And I was completely blown away by 12 Angry Men and believe that this is the greatest film I've ever seen. It's rather unusual with its premise and the way it is carried out, but everything is done so perfectly.
It's definitely among my all-time favorites!
Great way to start a Monday, Script Sleuth on one of my favorite movies
Happy Monday to you!
Man we need more of these. SUrely yours an under rated channel
Thank you!
Excellent video - really deep dive. Thank you a lot for this!!
You're welcome! Please be sure to help out the channel by hitting the like button on the video.
Excellent movie and one hell of a video! Keep up the great work. 👏
Thanks for the nice comment, and glad you enjoyed it!
This available on KZhead . I just finished watching it .
Love the pop quiz section!
Did you pass? 🙂
Thank you for the hard work!
Thank you for watching!
This didn't last long enough. Terrific video. Btw, I'm old: two of the men in this film were friends of mine. It's some of their finest work - work that put both of them on the map, although one became a lot more 'famous'. It's easy to see why some of us lament the advent of FX in film, especially. The simple elements in 'Twelve Angry Men' can't be improved upon. Here's to the next generation of writers who remember what's important. Thanks for making a channel that focuses on originality.
Wow, that's amazing! Which two were your friends?
Woah! I'm live for this!!!!!
Glad to have you here!
You just earned a subscription; this film is near perfect. My gf wanted to rewatch and after we composed our own jury. Mine's as follows: 1. David Krumholtz 2. Jackie Earle Haley 3. David Morse 4. Wayne Knight 5. Eamonn Walker 6. Chi McBride 7. James Badge Dale 8. Michael Keaton 9. Mark Margolis 10. Ed Begley Jr. 11. Jackie Chan 12. James Marsden
Oh, man, that's a fun exercise! I wonder who I'd put on my own jury... 🤔
I'm not 100% about my choices, but here's a list for now: 1. Mark Moses 2. Charles Martin Smith 3. Wendell Pierce 4. Mayim Bialik 5. Michael Peña 6. Russell Crowe 7. Will Ferrell 8. Emma Thompson 9. Bob Newhart 10. John Goodman 11. Irrfan Khan 12. John Slattery It's so tough to choose!
@@ScriptSleuth I'm glad it kept you occupied. It took a while to configure mine. Bob Newhart, what a brilliant choice. Initially I thought Bruce Dern, Robert Duvall, Christopher Lloyd, and Warwick Davis.
@@thankyoujodi Yeah this is much harder than it seems! I wanted to update the cast to a modern-day mix, but at the same time you also have to account for the characters' prejudices and flaws.
Also: wouldn't Jack Lemmon be perfect in the roles of Juror 1, Juror 7, or Juror 12?
well done .... one of my favorite movies ... enjoyed your analysis ... thanks.
You're welcome, Mark. Glad you enjoyed it!
Great analysis as always, but this time made very special with the Duke Ellington accompaniment. Thank you.
Hey Ryan! Thanks for the great comment. You're the first person to catch that it was the Duke.
Good on you; Sir. You present fine educational material. Thank you. I especially liked this one.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Oh brilliant. I'm still waiting for the Seven Samurai and Rashomon. Thank you for your very good work.
Cheers!
My favorite movie of all time. Great content!
Awesome. Thanks for the comment!
Very good exposition
this was very well broken down! It seems there's so many rules that can be broken that only one exists: don't bore the audience even THAT i'm not too sure about!
Ha! No, I think that rule we should never break. 🙂
@@ScriptSleuth but what if we want to break it? I think films are a success when they advice whatever they're trying to achieve even if it's boredom!
@@AntonWongVideo This doesn't make sense unless the filmmaker is independently wealthy and doesn't care if no one watches their work. Why on earth would anyone wish to bore an audience with their art? It's the height of pretense.
@@mortalclown3812I think what he means is like if someone’s life is boring at first then so should the movie. It’s immersive. Now after that you need action or some plot point to kick them into the story.
Such an outstanding film. Thank you for the film breakdown. Such wonder development of characters that drive this film.
Thanks for watching and commenting, David!
Brilliant writing w out a doubt!
More videos are available exclusively for Patreon members: Breaking Bad City of God Cries and Whispers Do the Right Thing Forrest Gump It's a Wonderful Life - Part 1 It's a Wonderful Life - Part 2 Memories of Murder The Lives of Others For access to these videos, go to: www.patreon.com/scriptsleuth
You all prolly dont care but does someone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost my login password. I would appreciate any help you can give me!
@Kamryn Zahir instablaster =)
@Brixton Roger Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Brixton Roger It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thanks so much, you saved my account!
@Kamryn Zahir You are welcome :)
I think I discovered this brilliant movie around the same time as The Oxbow Incident. Another favorite of mine is The Duelists.
I still need to see those!
I finally saw this film for the first time last night and man oh man what a ride it took me on. An absolute masterpiece. Not one wasted shot or piece of dialog. The film revealing new information at the precise moment it needs to pull the viewer in more. And as more of the picture gets revealed the more questions the viewer has. I've seen Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon and was half expecting 12 Angry Men to be more akin to a film like Reservoir Dogs in that it would still be great but not necessarily as great as the director's following films. I was dead wrong. I almost wish I hadn't watched it so I could still watch it for the first time. Also props to the youtube algorithm doing something right and recommending this breakdown for me. Excellent video. Can't wait to watch some more of your videos.
I'm so envious of your being able to watch it for the very first time! I still never get tired of watching it.
Another excellent analysis of one of my favorite movies. 👌
It's definitely one of my all-time favorites!
Gold!
This movie is one of those life changing experiences that define the magic of cinema
Agreed!
If you like the work I'm doing, please consider supporting the Script Sleuth channel on Patreon: patreon.com/scriptsleuth
Brilliant analysis. 12 Angry Men continues to be one of my favourites for the past several years now and I have been recommending it to my friends. May I suggest a few films for your consideration? Ignore my request if you Script Sleuth have already done it. 1. Roman Holiday (1953) America 2. The Help (2011) America 3. A Barefoot Dream (2010) South Korea and Japan 4. Battle of Algiers (1966) Italian-Algerian 5. Derzu Uzala (1975) Japan 6. Guess Who's coming to Dinner (1967) America 7. Omar Mukhtar (1981) Libya 8. Monsieur Verdoux (1947) 9. Not One Less (1999) China 10. Greenbook (2018) America
Wow, thanks for the suggestions! You have a good taste in movies.
Excellent series
Thanks for watching, Melissa!
You really are doing a great job man 👍💪 ,
Thank you!
I want to see you explaining more about mechanical and organic writing
Another fine job.
Thank you.
Very nice work! 👍 (10:02 I worked for a delivery/livery service called Beck and Call in Princeton, NJ back in the mid-1980s. Wonder if they got the idea for their name from this film! 🙂)
Interesting! Thanks for the comment.
@@ScriptSleuth You're welcome 🙂
How do you not have more views? This channel is so good
Thanks, Matthew! I actually pay Google every month to limit the number of views I get. Seems to be working great! 🤣
@@ScriptSleuth I've seen so many of your videos and I was surprised at the view count I thought they were getting 100k views AT LEAST
@@matty4670 "If you build it, they will come" I suppose.
@@ScriptSleuth Wise words
excellent video
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Your channel is really interesting, I want to learn writing a script and never thought about some of the things you say here. I would be so happy if you could analyse The Shining or Rosemary's baby
Great suggestions. Thanks for the comment!
Great video! Really helped me understand the movie's anatomy better. By the way, could anyone tell me what music is in the outtro?
Thanks for watching!
We never really find out whether the kid is guilty or not. It's flowing in the direction of "not guilty" at the end, but we never really know.
True, but remember they establish the "rules of the game" in the beginning: "not guilty" doesn't actually mean "innocent". If a juror had any reasonable doubt, he would have to vote "not guilty".
I've binge pretty much all of your videos now, the only complain I have is that they're too short. That's not just something you say, try and make an hour long video some time and you'll see what I mean, look at Mauler, long-form essays are just amazing, I use them as background for work and I KNOW millions do the same. Good luck man!
Thanks for the comment! I'll keep that in mind.
Awesome movie and yes. Great screenplay. Different people have different way of living and thinking. Even the remake is a good solid film. says it all
I stumbled over this gem of a movie only yesterday through a random reddit post. Thank you, unnamed redditor! ❤
sah la vidéo elle est dare bv L'équipe
I really liked Juror number 4..
VERY INTERESTING
Thanks for watching!
Excellent breakdown, I just found your channel and I recently watched again this masterpiece, can you do the breakdown for Robocop? (The original movie) keep up the good work, greetings from Germany
Robocop, what a blast from the past!
EG Marshall wears his coat the whole movie. I only noticed this on my most recent watching. 😅
Interesting! That's right, he said he's the one that never sweats.
This film is not one large, gigantic scene. These are called 'french scenes'. Which basically originated in theatre in which you change the scene or start a new scene by changing the blocking and staging of the characters - Some will move out of frame, some will enter the frame and some will change their positions to create a completely new composition and thus a new scene. The camera does not move much or the location is not changed at all but the scene is ended and a new one is started using the staging and blocking of the actors. This has to be written in the script and prepared in that manner. This is one of the reasons why this film is such a brilliant masterpiece as french scenes are extremely difficult to write and execute.
On that case i always interpreted it as juror 8 arguing that the old man couldnt have recognized the voice even if he heard it.
Amazingg
Awesome job, how about The Departed for the next search for secrets?
Good one!
What other films would you like to see me cover? Let me know in a comment below!
LOCKE starring Tom Hardy ...a movie that takes place entirely during a ride in a car.
I Saw The Devil (south korean movie) 👌🏻
@@danielcrintea that's a great one!
I would like you to cover the screenwriting of The Room (2003).
That would be epic.
What would you consider to be the best crime drama? That's what I'm doing now and could use some inspiration. Thanks.
Oh, man. Great question. Have you seen Bong Joon Ho's Memories of Murder? The Secret in their Eyes (Juan Jose Campanella)?
@@ScriptSleuth Thanks for your reply. I was actually looking for crime drama movies from the 90's onward. I loved the movie "Se7en" but wanted to watch other movies. The movies I'm most interested in are the crime dramas where a murder occurred, an investigation is undertaken, and a solution is found. Thanks again.
@@HarryHusted Memories of Murder is from 2003, and The Secret in Their Eyes was 2009.
@@ScriptSleuth I'll look into them. Thanks.
Number 7 was the only one that got away with it. When he was asked by Number 11 about why he votes Not Guilty, said he voted Not Guilty because "he thinks the kid is Not Guilty", it wasn't genuine, it was obvious he only cared to go to some stupid baseball match. And he got away with that, the only one that wasn't actually convinced.
Yup. He only did it to save time.
As a suggestion for future analysis - For two movies based on novels: in cold blood and Atonement.
Great suggestions. Thanks for the comment!
whats that song at the beggining?
I like movie with arguing, i saw this, man from earth, Don Juan etc. Have you some simmilar movie for me?
A movie with arguing? Basically any courtroom drama! 😃
@@ScriptSleuth my english is bad, i taught about the movie where bunch of people arguing about of their phylosophies, or where nobody beleves to a man. Something like that. Thanks for answer btw😊
an Extreme Exemption !
juror 11 maybe the most polite among all of them but he has got some scathing comebacks
I love it!
To be honust, i dont Think the movie is braking so mancher rules, for example Show dont tell: as you sat yourself the Charakters are revealed by Dialog, they are not saying hiw they feel or everytime what they Think, but they say stuff that thives hints what they are Feeling or thinking.
Paper Moon!!
Dang, I still haven't seen that movie! I need to remedy that.
I just found your channel and I already hate it, cuz' you make me want to rewatch every movie.
Hahaha 😆 I love it! Sorry to give you such a problem...
I have been in a juror room in Baltimore City Circuit Court - :) The same courthouse (Mitchell) is still standing practically unchanged.
Hope they had actual air conditioning! 🙂
@@ScriptSleuth As it so happens my last summons was in summer and the AC was turned on so high people complained it was too cold.
@@ijunkie Haha. Twelve Comfortable Men.
@@ScriptSleuth Curious. The one supposedly from Baltimore doesn't have a Baltimore accent, and actually sounds more Bronx than any of the others.
I’d love to see the original Teleplay!
You can easily find it on KZhead. Honestly, the movie version shines in comparison.
I would like for you to analyze the movie "Se7en." Thanks.
Already done! It's on the channel. 🙂
@@ScriptSleuth Cool. Thanks.
When the jurors are listing their jobs, did you intentionally put them in order of juror number?
Yes
@@ScriptSleuth nice
It’s a great story because you are watching fondas character slowly save the life of a kid from being murdered through changing people minds
If you believe in the fantastic, you could even say that Fonda’s character is literally the kid’s guardian Angel. He certainly is from a figurative angle.
He's like, "hear me out", and they heard him out.
@@TomEyeTheSFMguy They did. Now, in the US, more people than ever are for the death penalty. I've always been against it - in no small part because I come from the American deep south - my family is white and we've seen enough hate and bigotry to last many generations. There have been too many exonerations from death row - and too many with money who get off, for any thinking human to believe it is employed fairly. Here's to the way great art makes us think.
This is interesting and informative as far as screenwriting goes. However, one just can not think too much about some of the "brilliance" of juror #8. For example, he says the "old man" (a witness) could not have possibly heard the boy yell "I am going to kill you" to his father. And yet the boy yelling that out was the reason the old man called the police. If he had not heard anything like #8 claimed, why the heck would he call the police? He wouldn't have. #8's argument on that point made no sense whatsoever. There are quite a few things in the movie such as that. In fact, one can pick apart just about everything #8 does and says. But it is just a movie so one has to go with it. Just don't think too much about it.
Excellent point.
#10 "he don't even speak good english" #11 "he doesn't even speak good English " Me: Of course you're corrected by the only foreigner in the room
Hey great fan of yours works can you analyse some Indian films also
Thanks, Anand! Yes, for sure I would love to do that. Any you highly recommend?
@@ScriptSleuth yeah I would like to recommend vanaprastham (1999) Pather Panchali (1955) anantaram (1987) thanks for replying ♥️
How about "LOCAL HERO"?
i like cars they're cute
My entire life I heard about the film being a message against racism but when I watched it I was surprised that the accused appears to be an Italian white young man. Not a color of any kind. Is that correct?
Inherit the Wind please
Imo, the baseball juror wasnt entirely wrong for his reasoning. He knows he doesnt care and he is observing the argument as a spectator. During the he saw the room not as 6-6 but as 6-5. And as a fan of sport he can see the "not guilty" team is winning, perhaps he gambles on sports too and is voting partually on a gut feeling as a gambling man. He isnt basing his vote on each individual player, but by the performance of the "team"s and "guilty"has only been losing ground.
I meant to say "During the tie he saw the room not as..."
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
That's a good one!
If the Dark Knight is number 4, ok seems legit ...hahaah
How about doing a piece on "Judgement at Nuremburg"?