Christmas Eve Movie

Last night, Fatima and I watched Juror #2 as our Christmas Eve movie. It was something that has been brewing in my watchlist the moment I saw its poster online but I didn't watch any trailer about it.

That was probably one of the best decisions I've made this year.

I think this movie is best watched by going blind. As a courtroom drama, this one had one of the most convoluted way of trying to represent the practical idea of justice and how it always inevitable conflict with human nature.

It has been an ancient question to talk about justice. Which "good" do we talk about when we argue about the law? Are we prepared to suffer the consequences of being good and just? The list of ethical dilemmas can just go on.

Before watching this movie, I have always believed that I can only judge people based on my own perception about them, which means that it is dynamic. It is always changing and it largely affects how I interact with other people. I often judge people based on how they portray themselves: physically and digitally. I am always curious about why people do what they do and interpreting their behaviors based on the manner of how they do it.

You can say that it's a hobby of mine to have this mental exercise as a way to understand a person's intention or thought process. But at the end of the day, I know that what I have is my own interpretation and not the truth. I can be heavily forgiving but also a strict judge of character because I believe that people change. I just know that at this moment, you are one of the possible personalities that I have formed in my mind based on our interactions. You are only this person at this moment in time due to the circumstances that led you here. There is always room for growth.

You can only say that the person will not change if you have known them long enough and have made attempts to guide them towards their best self. You have the person's historical information, their traits, and throughout your relationship, patterns will emerge. Then and there, is the only time when that statement is correct.

Judging someone who is a complete stranger is impossible. As a juror, you will always have the time to weigh in the arguments of both sides. However, this is a type of responsibility that greatly affects all lives of the persons involved.

Will the aggrieved get the justice they wanted? If yes, was it deserved or was it for their own self-interest? Has the accused been treated fairly? Is it right for an obvious criminal to be treated fairly?

This one only verified that I can only have my own personal view of justice and stay impartial to it, however ironic it may sound. If anything else, this thought can move towards the issue of divine judgement and our understanding of it.

Merry Christmas.