Thematic Film-based Outline
专题电影大纲
Your outline should normally include the following information:
Y 我们的大纲通常应包括以下信息：
1. Title: Use key words to clarify your intended perspective of the chosen topic |
Challenges and Reconfigurations: How "12 Angry Men" Subverts Traditional Views of Justice and Crime |
2. Introduction: You should explain BRIEFLY the broad background on which you will extend your topic |
Justice and crime are often presented in a clear and opposing way: law is justice and crime is evil. Such simplified binary narratives are frequently seen in film and television works, shaping a stereotyped social perception. However, the 1957 film "12 Angry Men", directed by Sidney Lumet, launched a profound challenge to this traditional view of justice and crime in a cold and restrained way. The film unfolds around the jury review process of a murder case. Through intense debates among twelve jurors, it gradually reveals the infiltration of irrational factors such as prejudice, emotions, and identity backgrounds in legal judgments, thereby demonstrating that "justice" is not an objective existence but a process that is constantly questioned, negotiated, and constructed. |
3. Main points: Before writing your outline, you should take time to reflect on the key questions that you are seeking to answer. You might find it helpful to prioritize one or two main points, from which you can then derive a number of secondary points |
1.The traditional view of justice is questioned and overturned in the film Legal judgment does not equal the realization of justice: The film emphasizes the importance of the principle of reasonable doubt The tension between formal justice and substantive justice The traditional notion of "criminal facts" being overturned (unreliable witnesses and questionable evidence) 2. Personal biases reveal the social constitutive nature of just judgments Jurors' racial discrimination, emotional projection, indifference and laziness It shows that "justice" is not purely rational judgment but mixed with subjectivity It implies that legal practice cannot be separated from social psychology and cultural background 3. How does the "minority perspective" challenge justice in collective perception Juror No. 8 symbolizes rational doubt and moral commitment One person opposing the majority triggers a collective reevaluation Justice does not stem from the "majority opinion", but may come from confrontation and persistence 4. The emotional reconstruction of traditional concepts by film language and spatial Settings Enclosed Spaces, black-and-white images and oppressive shots create psychological tension The audience experiences the complexity of justice in "silence" and "sweat" Emotional engagement contributes to the audience's redefinition of justice |
4. Hypothesis (optional): Typically the hypothesis is only one sentence. As an example, a hypothesis for a study on behaviour patterns in children could be, “It was predicted that older children will show greater behavioural inhibition than younger children.” If you are still unclear, please “Use one sentence to restate your point!” |
As a cultural text, the film "12 Angry Men" challenges the traditional definitions of justice and crime through its narrative and visual language, and prompts the audience to reconstruct their understanding of these two concepts. |
6. Supporting details: You should cite more texts from either extensive reading materials or real cases to support your main points. (Just an outline. Details are not required!) |
"12 Angry Men" (1957): Cite specific scenes where jurors' biases come into play and how it impacts the trial outcome. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994): Use the story of unjust imprisonment and the character's struggle for justice as an example. Real - life cases similar to those depicted in films, such as wrongful convictions, to support the analysis of flaws in the justice system. This paper cites sociological studies such as Herbert Simon's "Theory of Bounded Rationality" to discuss how minorities promote changes in decision-making by opposing collective opinions. Minority Power in Social Movements: Research on the influence of minority groups extracted from historical cases, such as how the "minority voices" in the civil rights movement, the women's participation in politics movement, and the LGBTQ+ movement (the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City) changed public perception and laws. Referring to the discussions of film scholars on the symbolic meaning of space in films, this paper analyzes how "12 Angry Men" conveys a tense atmosphere through enclosed Spaces and symbolizes the limitations in the debate of justice. The Shaping of emotions by visual style: How does "12 Angry Men" enhance emotional tension through black-and-white images and visually express complex moral dilemmas by citing film theory (such as Andre Bazan's film aesthetics) |
7. Conclusion: A brief summary of your main points. |
Films serve as a powerful medium for examining the complex relationship between justice and crime. By revealing the strengths and flaws of legal institutions, the moral complexities of justice, and the multifaceted nature of criminal behavior, films challenge traditional narratives and offer viewers a more critical and nuanced understanding of these concepts. Thus, film analysis not only deepens our insight into justice and crime, but also highlights the cultural significance of cinema as a form of social commentary |
8. References (please choose LESS THAN TEN representative references): The outline should include a short bibliography identifying the most relevant works for your topic. |
Sen, A. (2022). The Legal and Social Aspects of the Move'12 Angry Men'. Issue 1 Indian JL & Legal Rsch., 4, 1. Kaptan, Z. (2023). ANALYZING THE CONCEPT OF MINORITY INFLUENCE IN GROUP DECISION MAKING THROUGH “12 ANGRY MEN” FILM. Fenerbahçe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 3(2), 195-214. Brady, C., & Gurevich, A. (2023). Critical Thinking in the Film" The 12 Angry Men. Marder, N. S. (2007). the banality of evil: a Portrayal in 12 angry men. Chi.-Kent L. Rev., 82, 887. Wilson, E. M. (2024). ‘I Just Want to Talk…’: Liberalism, Generative Unanimity, and Post-sacrificial Scapegoating in 12 Angry Men. In Rene Girard, Law, Literature, and Cinema: The Legal Drama of the Scapegoat (pp. 319-356). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. Bal, C. G., & Avcu, G. (2023). A reception analysis on the concept of group interaction in the movie 12 Angry Men. Anadolu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 24(2), 459-475. Gross, M. A. (2021). Twelve Angry Men: A Twenty-First Century Reflection of Race, Art, and Incarceration. Mujani, S. (2023). An Analysis of The Character and Characterization of Protagonist in Play Twelve Angry Men. Jurnal Langue, 17(1 Juni). Laster, K., Breckweg, K., & King, J. (2000). The drama of the courtroom. Federation Press. Mooney, A. (2006). The Drama of the Courtroom. Images in Law. Hampshire: Ashgate.(Traducción al español propia) |