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Classic Movie

Watched 12 Angry Men recently complete with multiple ad breaks for the Westinghouse ads. The movie itself was a fantastic study on how people come together gaining and losing consensus by turn. A jab of doubt that hits a hidden nerve can make the person change their mind. Then there is the gravity of consensus -one you are able to chip away at the majority opinion, the tide can start to turn quickly. All of this plays out in a very sparse setting of a jury room where these twelve men sit across a table and deliberate. 

Each character gets their time on screen, the viewers gets to understand where they come from and how that informs their thinking around the question of reasonable doubt. Class and prejudice play their part along with moral outrage in the jury (except one) being convinced that the defendant is guilty of murder. Time passes and the details are probed to test the reasonable doubt standard over and over again. The viewer is left feeling satisfied by the turn of events at the end of 95 minutes. 

Apart from the movie itself, I was intrigued by my response to the old-fashioned Westinghouse ads. Each of them was about home appliances that would free up a woman's time and bring efficiency to domestic chores. Each ad takes the viewer through the problem the appliance is trying to solve with a simple explanation of its best features. The ads end with a a reminder that Westinghouse is trust-worthy company.  It was remarkable that I actually liked watching the ads, did not feel annoyed that it interrupted the storyline. 

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