Critical Analysis of the Opening Extract of Baz Luhrmann's 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

In my opinion it is Luhrmann's way of showing that if Shakespeare had written Romeo and Juliet in the present day, this is the type of chaos that the Capulet and Montague families could cause, a modern twist to the play. As well as the images filmed, the camera effects, editing and dramatic music also add up to make the scene as chaotic as possible. The fast zooming, panning and freeze frames give the effect of a disordered scene which also makes the viewer feel as though they are a part

As soon as Romeo falls in love with Juliet a sudden link is made between them. The way they speak is very poetic and in verse, as if they know exactly what to say next. Also, Romeo is presented as religious when he compares his lips to “two blushing pilgrims”.

Baz Luhrmann, another acclaimed movie director also recreated the story of the two “star crossed lovers”. Again because of the medium the story is portrayed in, he can also acquire the use of symbolic, audio and visual codes. Baz Luhrmann just under over uses these to keep his audience compelled to the edge of their seats, to watch the film. Using large amounts of cinematic code, the spectator’s attentions are at the mercy of the movie. The way Luhrmann uses visual codes are similar yet different to those used by Franco Zefirelli in his representation of the story. The same important scene used above is the point when it is obvious. Romeo is in the back of Benvolios convertible, he then jumps out, and runs to scale the Capulet mansion wall. In Luhrmann’s version of the play rite, he adds a security dispatchment, in the same area Romeo is climbing the wall. The

Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic love story about two young lovers who are forced to be estranged as a result of their feuding families. The play is about their struggle to contravene fate and create a future together. As such, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would try and emulate Shakespeare’s masterpiece. This had been done before in many films. Prominent among them were, Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo and Juliet” and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.” Both films stay true to the themes of Shakespeare’s original play. However, the modernised Luhrmann film not only maintains the essence of Shakespeare’s writings, Luhrmann makes it relevant to a teenage audience. This is

After the opening monologue and montage there is a clash between members of the two households at a petrol station. It starts with some light humour with discussion of biting thumbs at each other before quickly escalating. Guns are soon drawn and innocent bystanders are involved before a fire starts and is soon strongly burning. This fight soon involves the whole country and the police and army intervene in order to break it up. Luhrmann also uses close-up shots of Tybalt and Benvolio as well as several slow-motion shots of key events to show the increase in tension. Luhrmann uses the fire is a visual example of the burning detestation between the two families. In contrast, Shakespeare’s opening scene is not as violent, contains no fire and has more humour. Another example of how Luhrmann shows the animosity between the two families is by leaving their feud unresolved. However, in Shakespeare’s play there is a brief conversation between Montague and Capulet at the end where they promise to build gold statues of the others child. In the film Luhrmann cuts out the interaction, choosing instead to finish the film with the Prince’s line “All are punished,” before having the news reader say the Prince’s final speech of the play, summing up the sad ending of Romeo and Juliet. This highlights the

To relate to a modern audience further, Lurhmann shows the families as gangs. When you see the Montague boys driving in their car they are all dressed the same and acting the same. You then come across the Capulet’s who again are dressed the same and acting the same. Both gangs meet up in the petrol stations and start having a fight. The fight resembles gang warfare in the modern society. By showing the families as gangs, Lurhmann can relate to the younger modern audience even more because they understand the hatred between two gangs in a big city and how if they meet up, there is always a fight.

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”, as portrayed in Luhrmann’s 1997 film, reveals that the cause of love will always lead to the consequence of death. Luhrmann focuses on highlighting this connection through the usage of props, costumes, and symbols, the foreshadowing of Romeo’s and Juliet’s fate, and Romeo’s compassion for his friends and family throughout the film. These aspects of the film emphasize the connection of love and death and explore the harsh realities and truths relating to this connection.

Analysis of the First Scene of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is a famous play writer from the 1500’s. Most of

Many themes are explored however the theme of love and death is far the most prominent throughout William Shakespeare’s best known play, Romeo and Juliet. The theme is explored through the language techniques Shakespeare used, for instance the oxymoron’s and motifs, and the characterisation, being the characters Paris and Capulet.

Interpretation of the Balcony Scene by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli of William Shakespreare's Romeo and Juliet

The play starts building tension after Romeo meets Juliet and instantly falls in love with her at first sight. Nevertheless, he then realises that his ‘true love’ is a Capulet and instead of turning away from the danger, he moves forward and continues increasing his love towards her which brought a chain of events that lead to chaos and disaster.

Throughout history, classic literature has appealed to modern audiences due to the relevance of themes in the piece. Playwright William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1599) is a classic piece that explores the themes; love and impetuousness of youth. These themes are portrayed through the star-crossed lovers’ story and still reflect the universal themes that people experience today.

A British tragedy set in 1300 Verona, Italy takes the reader on a journey through the difficulties faced by two young lovers from feuding families. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, describes the lives of the two heirs to the Montague and Capulet households, two noble families who harbor a deep hatred for each other. Despite the ancient family feud, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love and marry the next day. However, their lives are thrown into chaos as they deal with incidents including Romeo’s exile and Juliet’s sudden arranged marriage to another man. Struggling to conceal their feelings, the characters face several obstacles; often making rash, unwise decisions whose results they must endure, their lack of deliberate thought in these decisions eventually leads to their deaths. As the play progresses, Shakespeare establishes the motif of haste as characters speed through events in their lives, contributing to the major theme that impulsive actions lead to unpredictable outcomes.

Shakespeare’s work in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is outstanding in that it presents the audience with a very compelling and forbidden relationship between two people. The highs and lows of this play are a rollercoaster for the audience’s emotions and it can make the experiences ever so involved. One of the scenes that can really affect the audience and their emotions is the scene when Romeo and Juliet have their first kiss. In this short writing, I will analyze a clip from the 1968 version of the play by Paramount Pictures, as well as the 1996 version by 20th Century Fox, and in doing so I will closely look at what the director was trying to accomplish through the use of music, lighting, camera angle, and actor choices. This will allow