"12 Angry Men" : The “mystery” of the baseball game tickets
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The American film "12 Angry Men" (1957) was made nearly 70 years ago, but even today it remains captivating, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. I think it's no wonder that many people call it a masterpiece. I love this film and have probably watched it at least 100 times on DVD. No matter how many times I watch it, I never tire of it. I'm always impressed by Reginald Rose's screenplay, Sidney Lumet's masterful direction and editing. The performances of the cast, including Henry Fonda, who play the 12 characters, are simply stunning.
Many people are probably familiar with the plot of this film, but I'll give a brief introduction anyway.
The film begins at the end of court arguments regarding a boy accused of murder. The film consists entirely of scenes in which the 12 jurors (all male) debate in the jury room whether the defendant is guilty or not (apart from the opening scene where the court arguments are over and the final scene where the jurors leave the courthouse).
Based on the testimony and evidence, the 11 jurors are certain that the defendant is guilty, so they think they can quickly reach a unanimous decision to find the defendant guilty. However, one juror suggests that the defendant may be not guilty. The remaining 11 jurors are stunned, unable to believe that the defendant is not guilty. From this point on, however, a heated debate unfolds about the credibility of the testimony and evidence. And in the end, lo and behold, all 12 jurors unanimously decide that the defendant is not guilty.
Now, there is one thing that bothers me about this seemingly perfect film.
After the 12 jurors enter the jury room to deliberate, one juror (Juror # 7) shows off his tickets to the New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) game in front of the other jurors, saying he wants to get the discussion over with and go see the game. He then puts the tickets in his pocket. The twelve jurors then began to deliberate. However, after a while, Juror # 7, who had grown tired of the discussion, suddenly changes his opinion for no apparent reason. Juror # 11, enraged by Juror # 7's careless attitude, says, "What kind of a man are you? You have sat here and voted guilty with everyone else because there are some baseball tickets burning a hole in your pocket. And now you have changed your vote because you’re sick of all the talking here." It's a pretty powerful scene.
However, I think there's a problem with Juror # 11's words, because Juror # 11 couldn't have known that # 7 had the ticket in his pocket. When #7 showed off the ticket in front of the other jurors and put it in his pocket, # 11 was in the bathroom next to the jury room. The bathroom is designed so that the conversation in the jury room cannot be heard.
Furthermore, the ticket that Juror # 7 showed off was not one, but multiple tickets (probably two). Juror # 11 wasn't there, so he couldn't have known whether it was one or multiple tickets, but when he confronted Juror # 7, he correctly said "tickets" instead of "a ticket." This is also strange.
When I told a few friends that the baseball ticket issue was the only failing in this wonderful movie, they rewatched the DVD and agreed with me: "Yes, Juror # 11 couldn't possibly know that Juror # 7 had the ticket, because while Juror # 7 was showing off his tickets, Juror # 11 was in the bathroom in the next room."
However, regarding Juror # 11 saying "tickets" instead of "a ticket," they said, "It's true that Juror # 11 didn't look at the ticket, but it makes sense that he would say tickets instead of a ticket, since watching a game is usually done in pairs, not alone." I would like to refute this opinion. I have seen people watching baseball games alone at ballparks in Japan. I have also seen Americans watching Major League Baseball games alone at ballparks in the United States. It is by no means extremely rare. However, I think that most (perhaps all) people who go to baseball games alone, in both Japan and the United States, are men.
In both Japan and the United States, it may be that more men than women live lonely lives. Is it really okay to draw such a conclusion solely from watching baseball?
Finally, there is something I really want to say. I am worried that my point about this ticket issue may be incorrect and merely a misunderstanding on my part. If so, please let me know. I will correct it immediately.
(If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)