12 Angry is a classic, well-known play about a jury which is filled with bias. The play, written by Reginald Rose, has been made into a movie two times. In both remakes from 1957 and 1997, the screenplay does indeed differ from the play. But, whenever a play or book is made into a movie, some elements are lost. Sometimes characters or scenes get left out, or the movie loses the effect of the literature. But this is not always the case. The 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men directed by William Friedkin is more effective than both the original play by Reginald Rose and the 1957 edition by Sidney Lunet. It develops characters with more depth, and it allows viewers to understand the plot line more easily.
First, the 1997 version develops characters with