“12 Angry Men”: Comparison of the Play and the 1997 Movie

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Similarities between the Play and the Movie
Differences between the Play and the Movie
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The genre choice predetermines the selection of means and methods of transferring meaning and emotion to the audience. Literature and cinematography are two distinctive fields that use text or film to convey a story. However, since both are created in order to be performed by actors, they share similarities. These similarities and differences might be illustrated when comparing Reginald Rose’s play under the title 12 Angry Men and its movie version of 1997 under the same title. This paper is aimed at illustrating that genre particularities predetermine the necessity for transforming the original play to fit the cinematic setting.

Similarities between the Play and the Movie

The core of the story covered in the play is preserved in the movie, which validates the abundance of differences. The plot is delivered in the same manner so that the 1997 film’s order of events is the same as in the play. In both the play and the movie, the protagonist is Juror 8 and the antagonist is Juror 3. Their characteristics and the mode of communicating their arguments are the same in both works. Indeed, as Rose (n. d.) intended in his play, Juror 3 is a “forceful, extremely opinionated man,” while Juror 8 is “a quiet, thoughtful gentleman” (pp. 4-5). The similarity in the plot development is also evident, which is manifested through the dialogues. They display the change in opinions of all the jurors with the ultimate statement of the accused to be not guilty admitted by Juror 3.

Differences between the Play and the Movie

There are minor differences between the play and the movie, which are justified by the distinction in the media, namely the stage and the film set. In particular, while the beginning of both works contains the judge’s explanation of the need for a unanimous verdict, the play holds that the judge’s voice is heard from behind the stage (Rose, n. d.). However, in the film, the opening scene shows the judge in the courtroom. Thus, the film’s settings include two rooms, the courtroom and the jury room, while the play is set solely in the jury room (Friedkin, 1997). Another difference is the arrangement of the properties, which is directed at the audience in the play but altered and shown from different angles in the movie.

Apart from setting and staging, some elements of the plot and character performance also have some differences in the two interpretations. Indeed, the final scene is indicative of the distinction between the movie, in which the final monologue preceding Juror 3’s change of opinion was very detailed and long, and the play, where it was displayed in a shorter, less vocal manner (Friedkin, 1997; Rose, n. d.). In the film, the verdict becomes a pivotal element of Juror 3’s identification, which points the focus of the plot on him, while in the play, the focus of the final scene is rather on Juror 8. In the play, Juror 8 says that the accused is not guilty personally to Juror 3 when all the rest of the jurors have left the room; this is the final scene (Rose, n. d.). However, in the movie, the verdict of Juror 3 is presented as the closing of his long monologue and is presented to all the jurors; moreover, this scene is not the closing one.

Conclusion

In summation, the comparison of the play and the movie has revealed that the two interpretations of the same work have more similarities than differences. The core of the plot is the same, as well as the characters and their performance. However, the setting and some staging solutions were altered in the 1997 movie. Such differences were influenced by the opportunities for diversified scene management and the particularities of the cinematographic genre in comparison to the play.

References

Friedkin, W. (1997). 12 angry men [Film]. MGM Television.

Rose, R. (n. d.). 12 angry men. The Dramatic Publishing Company. Web.

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“12 Angry Men”: Comparison of the Play and the 1997 Movie

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