《12怒汉》和《罗生门》：真相能否让你自由？
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老桑说
质疑事实，寻找真相，挑战恐惧和偏见，
同时带领他人一起做正确的事情。
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「朋友，你好！我是老桑。」
每年8月我都会在天普-清华大学的法学硕士项目中教授美国法律体系的课程，并在课程快结束时给学生们放映《12怒汉》这部电影。这部1957年的经典如今已成为最有影响力的电影之一，也是唯一我每年都会重温的电影。
《12怒汉》：当你不在场时，你如何确定事实？
12 Angry Men: how do you determine the facts when you were not present?
电影中，一个美国纽约的波多黎各男孩被指控谋杀他的父亲。在审判过程中，检方出示了一把刀和来自两个邻居的证人证词作为证据。审判结果出来前，12个陪审员必须决定嫌疑人是否有罪。如果他被判有罪，就会面临死刑的惩罚，所以这是一个生死攸关的决定。
最初，11名陪审员都认为被告有罪。然而8号陪审员（亨利·方达饰）却非常怀疑，认为他们至少应该对证据进行讨论。8号陪审员的观点引发了一场激烈的辩论，甚至升级为打斗和男性之间的谩骂。夏季的雨水和陪审团室内令人窒息的高温又加剧了紧张气氛。
在整个讨论过程中，8号陪审员始终保持冷静并关注证据本身。他相信有足够多其他可能的情况让他对嫌疑人是否真正杀了他的父亲产生了合理的怀疑。比如目击者是否正确的叙述了案发的经过？那把刀是嫌疑人使用过的还是其他人用过的呢？
通常，陪审员们常常会因个人偏见和生活经历影响他们的决定，而非案件事实。当他们bicker（争吵）时，我们更多地看到了他们的偏见和世界观，从种族主义到家庭困境，干扰着他们对案件的理解。最后，他们与8号陪审员的意见达成了一致，认为被告不应被判有罪。
《12怒汉》的故事也被其他国家的导演多次翻拍。比如2007年，俄罗斯版的《12怒汉：大审判》登上大银幕。中国版的《12公民》也于2014年上映。这些电影尽管调整了很多细节以更好地适合中国和俄罗斯的社会，但都保留了很多与原版相似的情节特点。
电影提出了很多关于警察、检察官、辩护律师以及陪审团如何在他们不在犯罪现场的情况下确定事实的关键性问题。美国的刑事司法系统就是被设计用来弄清事实的真相，但正如在电影中看到的，不同的个人观点和意识形态却都会影响最终的结果。
《罗生门》：真相存在吗？
Rashomon: Is there such a thing as truth?
《罗生门》是一部1950年日本的经典电影，电影中四个人叙述了四种关于一个武士谋杀并强奸自己妻子的不同版本。故事中主人公和他的妻子正旅行路过荒山。强盗引诱他们，但他们不知道的是，一个樵夫砍柴人看到了整个过程……后来偷了匕首作为凶器。
强盗
在法庭上，强盗说他最终“引诱”了武士的妻子，然后在决斗中击败武士。妻子说，强盗强奸了她然后逃跑，她自己手里拿着匕首晕倒了。武士的灵魂通过一个女巫来证明自己，他说他的妻子当时希望跟他一起逃走，所以他自杀以挽回他的荣誉。樵夫说，强盗和武士心甘情愿地希望通过 duel（决斗）来赢得女人的爱情，最后强盗侥幸赢了。
武士
很难说清谁在撒谎，因为强盗、妻子和武士都承认自己是被谋杀的。而樵夫却一直保持沉默，因为他偷了武士的短剑。
砍柴人
各方都有对真相各自的理解，但最终都是出于自身利益而加以隐瞒。强盗想让自己看起来像是在自卫，女人想掩盖自己的羞耻(不管强奸还是自愿的行为)，武士想保护自己的荣誉，樵夫想转移法庭注意力，避免自己偷窃的行为被发现。
妻子
所以，真相真的存在吗？《罗生门》中确实有事实存在，但是我们却不得而知其真实面目。其中的一个原因就是故事里的每一方都有自己对于真相的主观判断，可能当事人知道真相，但他们的理解却不是客观的。
《12公民》：中国版
12 Citizens: a Chinese view
在电影《12公民》中，一所政法大学的学生们需要参加期末的补考，在模拟法庭的考试过程中，他们的家长担任陪审员。被告是一个被富有家庭所收养的年轻人，他被指控杀死自己在河南省的亲生父亲。与原版的《12怒汉》类似，证据也包括一把刀和证人的证词。
陪审员们来自北京的各行各业，除了一个河南人口音很重。陪审员8（何冰饰）是一个检察官想了解真相，但他没有透露身份。起初，所有11名陪审员都投了有罪的票，但在经过对事实的讨论和偏见的化解后，他们得出结论，被告无罪。
在审议过程中，陪审员暴露了他们对河南人的地域偏见，他们认为河南人落后、粗鲁、不文明。他们也表达了他们对被告的contempt（蔑视），因为他是一个富二代，所以人们会觉得他可以凌驾于法律之上。人们希望看到他因自己的本来面目而受到惩罚，而不关心他是否真的犯下罪过。
8号陪审员希望陪审团的其他成员更加关注事实，而不是把他们自己的嫉妒、偏见、个人问题和社会压力考虑在其中。陪审员常因不与案件相关的事情发生冲突，电影中的穷人猛烈lash（抨击）富人。最终我们也不知道被告是否真的杀害了他的亲生父亲，但是陪审团的偏见实际上模糊了他们的判断。
《12怒汉：大审判》：俄罗斯版
12: the Russian version
俄罗斯版的《12怒汉》有着很多相似的元素，但这部电影中的被告是一个年轻的车臣人，他在莫斯科被指控谋杀自己曾为俄罗斯军官的养父。车臣和俄罗斯的战争持续了几年，陪审员们认为被告非常barbarous（野蛮）。俄罗斯确实有陪审团制度，所以死刑是一个严重的后果。
和其它的电影一样，11名陪审员最初投票表决被告是否有罪，但却有一个执着的陪审员（谢尔盖·马科韦茨基饰）反对。然后他们接连在讨论了事实之后，逐渐开始相信被告是无罪的，更重要的是，他们自己的背景与事实密切相关。
反犹主义和种族主义是讨论中最突出的问题。讨论过程中，一名更forceful（有说服力的）陪审员立即对一名犹太陪审员表示厌恶，指责他耍花招。许多陪审员公开表示他们不喜欢车臣人，他们认为车臣人杀害他们的父亲是没有问题的，不管他们有多善良，因为这可以让他们领取养老金。
陪审团最终判定被告无罪,相信他是被陷害的。但在俄罗斯结局转折中，陪审团主席建议他们仍然应当判定被告有罪，因为他在监狱里比自由的更安全。陪审员都明白这个道理，但不想介入其中。他们的被告被释放，令人遗憾的是，他后来被同一犯罪组织杀害。
12：你的故事是什么呢？
Twelve: what’s your story?
这些电影揭示了我们的偏见和世界观会如何影响我们对真相和现实的理解。电影呼吁我们以批判的眼光看待我们的人际关系和周遭的环境，努力做到公平、客观和理解。也许最重要的是，把人以人的方式来对待，而不是标签化或是“他者”。
同时，你对自己有偏见吗？你是否对自己的才能和可能性有实际的认识吗？我多次听到学生们不切实际地贬低自己，限制自己，或者否认自己能发展得更好。这些声音往往来自于他们自己的恐惧和偏见，可能会让你错误地给自己下判断。
我的朋友，《12怒汉》是一部经典的电影，它从多方面挑战你的传统认知：质疑事实，寻找真相，挑战恐惧和偏见同时带领他人一起做正确的事情。与你不想用错误的信念来压制别人相同的是，你也不应该让同样的信念压制自己。
事实上，真相会让你自由。
本文部分图片来源网络。
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英文版
English
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12 Angry Men and Rashomon:
can the truth set you free?
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Each August in our Temple-Tsinghua Master of Laws (LLM) program I teach a course on the American Legal System. And each year at the end I show the students 12 Angry Men. This 1957 classic has become one of the most influential films in history. It’s the only movie I watch at least once a year.
12 Angry Men: how do you determine the facts when you were not present?
In the story, a Puerto Rican boy is accused of murdering his father in New York City. During the trial, the prosecution presented a knife and witness testimony from two neighbors as evidence. Upon conclusion of the trial, the 12 jurors must determine whether the defendant is guilty. If so, the defendant will be sentenced to death. It’s a weighty decision.
At first, 11 of the jurors believe the defendant guilty. However, Juror 8 (Henry Fonda) isn’t so sure, believing that they should at least discuss the evidence. The reluctance of Juror 8 then sets into motion a heated and intense debate, at times escalating into fighting and name calling among the men. The summer rain and stifling heat in the jury room intensify the tension.
In the U.S. system, the prosecution must prove a criminal defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Even if the defendant did, in fact, commit the crime, the prosecution still must meet this burden of proof in court to successfully find the defendant guilty. “Not guilty” does not always mean “innocent,” as in some cases the state did not meet this burden.
Throughout the deliberations, Juror 8 keeps his cool and stays focused on the facts. He believes there were enough of other possible scenarios to cause him reasonable doubt about whether the defendant, in fact, killed his father. Did the witnesses recount the matter accurately? Was the knife actually used by the defendant and not someone else?
The jurors’ personal prejudice and life experiences, and not facts, influence their decisions. As they bicker among themselves, we learn more about their biases and worldviews, from racism to family hardships, that warp their understanding of the case. In the end, they all come to agree with Juror 8 that the defendant should be declared not guilty.
The 12 Angry Men story has been reinterpreted by other filmmakers in other countries. For example, a Russian version, called 12, was released in 2007. And then a Chinese version, 12 Citizens, was released in 2014. These movies follow a similar fact pattern, although adjust some details to better adapt the story to Russian and Chinese society.
The movie raises important questions about how the police, prosecution, defense lawyers, and jurors determine the facts when they were not present at the site of the crime. The U.S. criminal justice system is designed to get at this truth, but as we see from the movie, varying personal views and ideologies can influence the final result.
Rashomon: Is there such a thing as truth?
In court, the bandit said he ultimately “seduced” the wife and then defeated the samurai in a duel. The wife said the bandit raped her and fled, and she fainted with a dagger in her hands. The samurai, who testifies through a medium, says his wife offered to flee with the bandit, so he killed himself to save his honor. The woodcutter said the bandit and samurai willingly dueled to win the woman’s love, and the bandit won the fight through a stroke of luck.
It’s hard to tell who is lying, as the bandit, wife, and samurai each admit to the murder. The woodcutter kept a low profile, as he stole the murder weapon.
The parties each have their own understanding of the truth, but in the end, are all motivated by self-interest. The bandit wanted to appear like he was acting in self-defense, the woman wanted to cover her shame (regardless of rape or a consensual act), the samurai wanted to protect his honor, and the woodcutter wanted to deflect attention from himself.
So, is there such a thing as truth? There were definitive facts in Rashomon, but we don’t know what they are. One reason is because each party had a subjective understanding of truth, perhaps even held in good faith, but their understandings may not be objectively true.
12 Citizens: a Chinese view
In 12 Citizens, the jurors are parents of law school students who participate in a moot court competition to make up for failing grades. The defendant was a young man adopted into a wealthy family, accused of returning to his native Henan province to kill his birth father. Like 12 Angry Men, the evidence included a knife and witness statements.
The jurors were from a broad range of Beijing life, except one from Henan who spoke with a heavy accent. Juror 8 (played by He Bing) was a prosecutor wanting to get at the truth but did not reveal his identity to the others. At first, all 11 jurors voted guilty, but as they worked through the facts and their own biases, they concluded that the defendant was not guilty.
During the deliberation, the jurors expose their regional prejudice against people form Henan as being backward, crude, and uncivilized. They also express their contempt for the defendant, who as a second generation rich Chinese may have felt he could operate above the law. They wanted to see him punished for who he was, and not for whether he committed a crime.
Juror 8 led the jurors to stay focused on the facts, and not their own jealousy, prejudice, personal problems, and social tension. The jurors clash with each other over unrelated things, often the poor lashing out against the rich. In the end, we do not know whether the defendant actually killed his birth father, but we do know that the jurors’ biases blurred their judgment.
12: the Russian version
The Russian version of 12 Angry Men follows the same facts, except the defendant is a young Chechen who kills his adopted father, a Russian military officer, in Moscow. Chechens have fought Russians for decades, if not centuries, and the jurors saw this defendant as being barbarous. Russia does have a jury system, so the death penalty was a real consequence.
Like the other movies, 11 jurors voted guilty at first, and there was one holdout (Sergei Makovetsky). And then one by one, they each came to believe the defendant was not guilty as they discussed the facts, and more importantly, their own issues as they related to the facts.
Antisemitism and racism came to the forefront. One of the more forceful jurors took an instant dislike to a Jewish juror, accusing him of tricks. Many of the jurors were open about their dislike of the Chechens, who they thought would have no problem killing their fathers, regardless of their kindness, to collect their pensions for themselves.
They jurors finally decide that the defendant is not guilty, believing that he was framed. But in a Russian twist to the ending, the jury foreman suggests that they still find the defendant guilty, reasoning he would be safer in prison than if set free. The jurors understand, but don’t want to get involved. They defendant is set free, and sadly, killed by the same criminal forces.
Twelve: what's your story?
These movies show that our biases and worldviews influence our understanding of truth and reality. The movies call us to take a critical view of our relationships and surroundings, striving to be fair, objective, and understanding. Perhaps most importantly, to see people as people, and not as labels or “someone else.”
At the same time, do you have any biases against yourself? Do you have a realistic vision of your talents and possibilities? So many times, I hear students unfairly putting themselves down, limiting themselves, or denying that they can grow into something more. Those voices, often grounded in fear and bias, may lead you to wrongly convict yourself.
My friend, 12 Angry Men is a movie classic that will challenge you in many ways: to question facts, to search for truth, to challenge fears and prejudices, and to lead others to do the right thing. Just as you don’t want to use false beliefs to keep others down, you also should not let those same kinds of beliefs keep yourself down. Indeed, the truth will set you free.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Duel \ ˈdü-əl \
a)含义：v. 决斗
b)例句：
i.The woodcutter said the bandit and samurai willingly dueled to win the woman’s love, and the bandit won the fight through a stroke of luck.
樵夫说，强盗和武士心甘情愿地希望通过决斗来赢得女人的爱情，最后强盗侥幸赢了。
ii.Another body amid the countless fatalities in a senseless hubris and duel in which there are no innocents.
另一个躯体在数不尽的灾祸之中在一个没有意义的蔑视之中并且在这场斗争中没有无辜。
c)近义词：battle, combat, contest
2.Contempt \ kən-ˈtem(p)t \
a)含义： n. 轻视；蔑视
b)例句：
i.They also express their contempt for the defendant, who as a second generation rich Chinese may have felt he could operate above the law.
他们也表达了他们对被告的蔑视，因为他是一个富二代，所以人们会觉得他可以凌驾于法律之上。
ii.Showing the soles of shoes to someone is a sign of contempt in Arab culture.
在阿拉伯文化中，对他人露出鞋底是一种表示蔑视的举动。
c)近义词：abhorrence, disdain, scorn
3.Lash \ ˈlash \
a)含义：v. 抨击；讽刺
b)例句：
i.The jurors clash with each other over unrelated things, often the poor lashing out against the rich.
陪审员常因不与案件相关的事情发生冲突，电影中的穷人猛烈抨击富人。
ii.From his easy chair he hears the wind lash his house and the rain pound the street outside his home.
他坐在安乐椅上，只听得呼啸的大风猛烈地冲击着他的屋子，大雨击打着屋外的街面。
c)近义词：bash, flog, pound
4.Barbarous
\ ˈbär-b(ə-)rəs \
a)含义：adj. 野蛮的
b)例句：
i.Chechens have fought Russians for decades, if not centuries, and the jurors saw this defendant as being barbarous.
车臣和俄罗斯的战争持续了几年，陪审员们认为被告非常野蛮。
ii.He developed a museum depicting the barbarous treatment that was prevalent in asylums for the insane.
他创立了一所博物馆，专门展示在精神病院里普遍存在的野蛮的治疗方法。
c)近义词：barbarian, savage, uncivilized
5.Forceful
\ ˈfȯrs-fəl \
a)含义：v. 强有力的；有说服力的
b)例句：
i.One of the more forceful jurors took an instant dislike to a Jewish juror, accusing him of tricks.
讨论过程中，一名更有说服力的陪审员立即对一名犹太陪审员表示厌恶，指责他耍花招。
ii.The moment you catch yourself with an unwanted thought, interrupt the chain of thoughts with your forceful mental exclamation.
这个时候你有一种不想要的思想,用你思想上强有力的惊叹打断思绪的链条。
c)近义词：influential, strong, weighty
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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