Not What it Seems

‘12’ is a movie I was not excited to see. I was already ten minutes late, and I was informed it was a foreign film. However, it was not what it seemed. Ten minutes into the movie, I was caught heavily in its message. What I learned is what I want to share with others.

This film has changed how I view many people and much of my outlook on life. While many parts of the movie touched me, I want to focus on one aspect. Namely, the characters. The jurors were the part of the movie that made this one of my favorites. Twelve men, having seen the worse the human race has to offer, are put into a room to decide the fate of another. Some even appear brutal and violent at first. So rich in character, but it is not as obvious at the beginning. Again, not what it seems. It seemed to me that the jurors were men who just wanted to get out of the trial as fast as possible. At first, they were all that way. Each had a separate life they were eager to get back too- except one man. Through a series of events, they touch one another in ways they could not even imagine. They each have a life story that often portrays a problem we see every day in society, such as dishonesty and abuse. Through these stories, they change each other’s view on everything, from something as simple as voting ‘not guilty’ to changing racist views they had held their entire lives. They relate with each other. They cry with each other. They confess to each other. This is what hit me the hardest. How many people have I judged? How many people have could I have conversed with for hours on subjects I never knew we had in common? How many things are not what it first seemed to me?

After this film, I am resolved to never let questions like this plague me again. Every human has a purpose. Every human has had a life full of experiences and trials. We can help ourselves and others to get through this life but understanding what the film taught me: people are not always as different as you first might guess. Even more importantly, I plan to apply this into my life starting today.