I love reason and argument, and so I love 12 angry men. To me, this film is a dance between Reason and Humanity, at times adversarial and at times aligned. (What more can one ask of a film about debate?) The film's clear message shows reason and compassion toppling positions of belief, whether they be based in emotion, fact, or bigotry. Interestingly though, reason itself is not shown to win the day; it is the social pressures and tricks of debate - entirely human in their effect and significance - that win over each of the dissenters. The strange allegiance seems to undermine Reason at times, especially when the main antagonist is brought to rage and then tears under the silent stares of his fellow jurors. Cobb's #3 collapses both below the weight of the argument and below the weight of his peers, and I am left feeling that reason has lost when it cannot stand on its own. For me, these moments seed distrust in the filmmakers and the Fonda's protagonist #8. At times, #8 is quiet and passive, and at times a hawk, physically swooping in to finish his weakened opponents. It is upsetting at times, and I too begin to distrust the arguments, reminded of satan the logical deceiver.