Genre Research: 12 Angry Men

     The first film study into the noir genre I would like to examine is "12 Angry Men". To talk about what elements of the genre appear in this film, we must first discuss what the elements of the noir genre are. The first element of noir is thematic elements of cynicism, fatalism, and/or moral ambiguity. Stories in the noir genre are typically have themes of fate or have a cynical or morally grey tone. The second big element of noir is mature subject matter. Most noir flicks have realistic to gritty subject material. Usually it is made to be plausible in the real world but with less of the glow and light-heartedness present in other stories. The third element of the noir genre is black and white color. This one is not necessary for a movie to be in the noir genre, but many of the most well known noir movies are in black and white. "12 Angry Men" fits all of these elements. 

    "12 Angry Men" is about a group of 12 jurors arguing about whether a boy is guilty of a crime. If the boy is convicted, then he will be sentenced to death. These jurors essentially decide if the boy gets to live or die, so cynical and morally ambiguous themes are being baked into the plot of the movie. The plot of this movie touches on death, truth, and justice, which I think counts as mature subject material. Lastly there is the black and white color that is recognizable in the noir genre."12 Angry Men" is a black and white movie despite colored film already existing. Every listed element of the noir genre is present in "12 Angry Men". It should be a valuable source for reference and learning about the noir genre. I will still be looking for more case studies to learn about the noir genre. You can expect to see another blog like this but until then, see you later.