Baz Luhrmann's Production of Romeo and Juliet

Love plays a crucial role in telling the story of Romeo and Juliet, clearly shown in the appropriated Luhrmann film. Using film as a new medium, cinematic techniques explore the love between Romeo and Juliet. The balcony scene is a clear example of how Luhrmann expresses this. To show his love for Juliet, Romeo decides to sneak into the Capulet mansion to confess his love for her. When Romeo sees Juliet through his window, light shines around her and he describes it as, “ the sun.” This suggests that Romeo is calling Juliet the brightness in his life. Luhrmann decided to portray Romeo

When picking a scene to analyze in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is easy to go straight to the temptingly classic and romantic balcony scene. Especially in the case of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation Romeo + Juliet, the director gives viewers plenty to talk about with his innovative staging that puts Romeo and Juliet on the same level. However, a more brief scene that gives way to important insight about the film is Romeo and Juliet’s wedding. In Shakespeare’s play the audience does not actually witness the wedding, so Luhrmann had total creative freedom in what he wanted this scene to look like. When the two young lovers finally reach the end of the aisle together, they quickly evoke the image of children playing dress up. Romeo’s suit is old-fashioned and too big for him, as if he borrowed it from his father’s closet. Juliet wears a 1950’s style halter dress, hanging on her like a costume. Her hair is messily pulled into an updo with strands hanging down by her face, making her look like a kid who has tried to do a fancy new hairdo but does not quite know how and could probably use a haircut besides that. Attire aside, Romeo and Juliet just have very young-looking faces. The actors portraying them, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, are ages 21 and 17 and you can tell by their bright faces and softened features that they are still quite young to be getting married (Rolling Stone). Their clothes and faces combined

How effective is Luhrmann’s film Romeo and Juliet as a modern day appropriation of Shakespeare's play you ask? Baz Luhrmann's appropriation of the original play of “Romeo And Juliet” is highly effective as it is modernized to meet the interests and expectations of a 20th century teenage audience. Throughout the original 16th century play, Shakespeare develops the themes of family rivalry and love. The theme of family rivalry has been implemented into the original play through the conflict between two powerful families in the city of Verona. Throughout his appropriation of the play, Baz Luhrmann successfully preserves the same concept of family rivalry but modernises it by portraying the two families as two large business corporations and brands who are constantly in competition with each other. Shakespeare implements the theme of love through main character Romeo being made to resemble and fulfil the role of a typical "Petrarchan lover". Luhrmann also effectively integrates the theme of love through his successful use of filmic techniques to illustrate the unbreakable love between Romeo and Juliet whose love resembles and portrays the characteristics of a 20th century relationship. Using these modern elements, Luhrmann’s film effectively appeals to the contemporary teenage audience whilst powerfully conveying the themes of family rivalry and love. These adaptations made by Luhrmann in his film create a more comprehensible meaning as teenagers can relate to the film with a

Luhrmann’s variation of the film is more suited to a teenage audience than Zeffirelli’s due to the vibrant settings and modern sets utilised throughout the film. Several of these sets include the beach, high rise buildings and petrol stations. These factors are used to tempt a younger audience. Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, however takes place in a medieval Italian city. Although the original play was based and performed in this location, teenage viewers cannot relate to the surroundings, hence making it difficult to understand or appreciate the plot.

One of the elements used by the director to convey the mood is setting. In scene 2, Romeo and Juliet are not on balcony like in the original play, but instead in a courtyard. Later on, the couple falls into the pool where most of the scene occurs. Although they have some intimate moments, Romeo and Juliet are seen splashing water on each other and laughing. As a result, this evokes a playful mood because they are having fun together.

Romeo and Juliet is a play created by a famous playwright called William Shakespeare. Baz Luhrmann adapted the play to create a modern version of Romeo and Juliet in 1996. There are many similarities and differences in how Baz Lurhmann and Shakespeare portray the relationship between Juliet and her parents. There are many times in the scene how Shakespeare uses language, structure and form to present the relationship between Juliet and her parents, while Baz Luhrmann reveals this relationship using different camera angles and diegetic and non diegetic sounds and shot types.

The 1996 film, Romeo and Juliet, is Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of William Shakespeare’s play by the same name. This film is part of Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy where Luhrmann uses a theatre motif in each, with poetry and language being the motif used in Romeo and Juliet. This play was originally written by William Shakespeare who was an English poet, playwright, actor and a man who is considered one of the greatest contributors to English literature as he invented over 1700 now common words and wrote some of the world’s most famous plays. Romeo and Juliet was written in 1595 so Luhrmann had to give the film a contemporary twist but keeps the original themes of forbidden love and young romance to appeal to a modern audience. In the

‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tragic play about two star crossed lovers written by Shakespeare in 1595. The play is a timeless teenage tradgedy. “The play champions the 16th Century belief that true love always strikes at first sight,” (Lamb 1993: Introduction) and even in modern times an audience still want to believe in such a thing as love at first sight. Act II Scene II the balcony scene displays that romantic notion perfectly.

As he creeps out from hiding (in the movie) a frightened Juliet screams and falls into a pool, whereas in the play, it seemed like she had only slightly jerked forward because she was startled by his sudden appearance. Romeo and Juliet's relationship was based on infatuation since the moment they met. The two hadn't even known each other for more than a few hours and foolish Romeo had requested for her hand in marriage. His passion, haste, lust, and obsession shows that he was infatuated with Juliet, and her actions prove the same as well.

Romeo and Juliet is a timeless story about two ill-fated lovers. Originally written by, Shakespeare, this story has been adapted by different directors who all commonly try to add their own unique twist to it. Two of the most prevalent adaptations of Romeo and Juliet have been done by Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann, who have taken this love story to the big screen. Franco Zeffirelli’s movie, which was produced in 1968, is extremely authentic and stays true to Shakespeare's vision, whereas, Baz Luhrmann’s version produced in 1996, is contemporary and appeals more to younger audiences. There are various differences and a couple of similarities between Zeffirelli’s and Luhrmann’s movie versions such as the costumes, their interpretations of

Is the movie Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann’s good or bad? A movie where took place in fair Verona. Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet was about two families mortal enemies for a very long time where in just one night where so called love at first sight happen. The friction of Montague and Capulet ended by the death of the two young children who fall in love with each other from both families. Baz Luhrmann’s movie version of Romeo and Juliet does a great job of retelling this love story.

Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet was an accurate representation of the famous Shakespearean play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, and was very entertaining for today’s audience. First, this modern version presented the original play in both an appealing and entertaining way for the younger generation. People today are interested in movies that are more romantic yet action packed, and Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet met these preferences. The film included many scenes from the original play that were changed to be action packed and tragic, such as the gunfights between the Capulets and Montagues, which appealed to the younger audience because of their modern day thinking. Because the film was action packed, the audience took an interest

Setting is an element which can be looked over by the viewer. Sometimes what makes a scene work can be fully tied to its setting and props. With a setting that is realistic and well thought, you can truly tie a scene together. In the Franco Zeffirelli version of the play, we can see that the setting is around the Capulet mansion, by Juliet’s balcony. Romeo is below hiding in the bushes. The leaves of the bushes and how Romeo is below them show us how he is hiding and can’t be seen by anyone, the night sky and how dark it is in this scene also hide Romeo. Juliet is sitting on the ledge of her balcony. In this production, the balcony is made very wide, so in the scene, Juliet can walk along the entire balcony before Romeo speaks. This also gives her enough space to run away when she is scared by Romeo’s voice. The plot is not affected too much by these choices other than being able to have Juliet almost run away from Romeo. Through these setting options that Franco Zeffirelli took during his production, we have a medieval time period look and a more original looking production. However, the

During some of part one, and two, we slowly learn about Romeo and his dilemma. He has fallen in love with beautiful Rosaline and all of his heart is crying out to her. He vows to never see a beauty as fair as her, and complains about the rudeness and pain of love. He allows himself to go to the party with Mercutio and his friends, but remarks he won't have a good time. "I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in a splendor of mine own."  That is until he sees Juliet. Instantly he forgets all of his lamenting for Rosaline love, and proclaims Juliet is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. "O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright. It seems she hangs on the cheek of night, like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Shakespeare thus portrays Romeo and his love as an infatuation. This infatuation is evident in how instantaneously Romeo falls out of love with Rosaline and into love with Juliet. At one stage, Rosaline was the “precious treasure of his eyesight”, yet Romeo’s embodiment of perfection was, a few scenes later, his notion of defectiveness. This therefore reveals to the audience the instantaneous and reckless path of the two lovers, as well as the fickleness of adolescent “love”, diminishing at the sight of