Analysis of the Movie, Twelve Angry Men
According to the text, researchers have identified phases or sequences of talk that some groups
go through when they meet to solve a problem or make a decision. These four phases of group
development, orientation, conflict, emergence, and reinforcement, will be analyzed and examples from
the movie, Twelve Angry Men will be cited to support each stage.
The first phase is orientation phase. The authors state that when people first get together they
spend their time adjusting to at least two things: who’s in the group, and what they will be doing. This
occurs in the movie when everyone is making small talk. The practical joker asks if anyone wants gum
and talks about the baseball game he has tickets to later that evening. The men are talking to each
other but there isn’t really any meaning to their conversation. Jury members are fidgeting, opening the
windows, hanging up their jackets and pacing around the room. Once they sit down the foreman
explains their role and how they will proceed. What happens during this phase is referred to as primary
tension. This tension is the result of uncertainty and discomfort that people feel when they first meet.
The textbook explains that as people begin to become acquainted and start talking about the groups’
purpose, typical groups experience the second phase-conflict.
During the conflict phase, people begin to learn about their different views and opinions. This
phase is also known as secondary tension. The authors state that this occurs when there is a struggle
for leadership or when group members disagree with each other. In the movie for example, the jury
members assume that everyone is in agreement on the verdict until a vote is taken and there is one not
guilty vote. Conflict erupts when the racist shouts out, “There is always one.” On another occasion the
racist is stereotyping people from the slums and shouts, “You know how they are, they’re are all the
same.” Juror number four responds by saying, “I’m from the slums; am I like them?” and conflict
intensifies.
The group moves from the conflict stage to the emergence stage when they begin to solidify a
common point of view. When decisions emerge, conflict is reduced. According to the text some
conflict will still be evident in this phase, but it won’t be as strong. An example from the movie occurs
when a vote is taken and the results are divided, six-to-six. Jury members begin to really question if the
accused man is guilty. With the discussion now reaching a new level, they begin to talk about the
witnesses and their stories. Members start remembering evidence others had forgotten. However, the
conflicts are still there as the racist makes more crazy remarks and the groups literally stands up
against him. The group starts to see a the issues more clearly and agree that their purpose is to resolve
the issues by talking everything out.
Finally, the group arrives at the reinforcement phase when group members become more
unified. The group emerges from the struggles of the previous three stages and develops a new sense
of direction. An example from the movie occurs when the old man remembers the female witness
having eyeglass marks on her nose. He questions the possibility of her being able to see the murder
from across the street since she didn’t have time to put on her glasses. Other jurors then remember
seeing the marks on her nose when she was on the stand. They look at the evidence in a different way
than they had before and work on the case together to come up with a not-guilty verdict.
The four phases of small group development, including orientation, conflict, emergence, and
reinforcement, were analyzed using examples from the movie, Twelve Angry Men. All small groups,
however, do not experience the stages in exactly the same. All groups will have the orientation phase,
but every situation will be different. Some groups for example, will remain in the conflict stage until
something takes a turn for the good or bad. The textbook mentions that the reinforcement stage usually
occurs in most groups because, being human, members will want to make sense out of things that have
happened. The movie is a good illustration of the four stages of group development.