In the Petrol Station scene, William Shakespeare’s important theme of violence is amplified and discussed through Baz Luhrmann’s filmic interpretation. The theme of conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets is a constant and crucial idea throughout the play. Baz Luhrmann has highlighted the traditional Shakespearean language by modifying the setting to a modern context, therefore the audience is able to relate to the text. Furthermore, the setting choice of a petrol station provides the film with the ability to effectively enhance the dramatic language revealed in the play. Irony and contrast are also really essential in drawing the audience’s attention to the violence in Romeo and Juliet. Tybalt states, “What, drawn, and talk of …show more content…
The relentless and dangerous feud between the Montagues and Capulets is elaborated in Romeo + Juliet through the contrast in tone, speed and style of music when these two different parties are introduced. The Montagues are introduced with is light and airy music, however, the music is altered to a heavy western style when the Capulets enter the scene. The musical elements create anticipation among the audience as they foreshadow the imminent fight. Furthermore, the distinctive difference in race between the Latino Capulet boys and Anglo-Saxon Montague boys represents and symbolises the conflict between the two houses. Reinforcing the ongoing war between the Montagues and Capulets, Baz Luhrmann has applied corresponding camera shots of the two contrasting family crests which are opposite primary colours. Therefore, Luhrmann makes reference to the conflict theme exploited in Shakespeare’s work. (link) Baz Luhrmann has successfully enhanced the audience’s appreciation of Shakespearean text in the scene Death on a Summer’s Day. Mercutio is a dominate and opinionated force throughout the play, who is illustrated by Shakespeare as a victim of Romeo and Juliet’s love. Mercutio’s last dying words express, “A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me. I have it, And soundly too. Your houses!” Metaphorical language is featured in order to foreshadow the
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
Luhrmann’s production of Shakespeare’s tragic play, Romeo and Juliet, appeals to the audience members largely due to Mercutio’s death. The weather, the acting and the music make this version powerful. The acting makes this scene of the movie believable when Mercutio was dying, Romeo was getting sad and started crying. Tybalt felt so bad that he killed Mercutio and didn’t know what to do he was just shocked and stood still looking at Romeo and Mercutio. The weather was sunny, hot and the sky was blue and the clouds were out and about. When Mercutio cursed both Romeo and Tybalt houses and started to die the weather started to change. The skies started to turn dark grey and thunder and lightning began and the wind so powerful started to blow all things around it away. Then out of nowhere a powerful storm has began to start when Mercutio was dying in Romeo’s arms. After Romeo killed Tybalt the storm began to become calm down and the storm had stop.
So begins Baz Luhrmann’s production of Shakespeare's beloved play, "Romeo and Juliet," from the famous opening line of "Two Households both alike in dignity.." to the tragic end, the viewer is whisked away into the ‘depths’ of heightened realism in the world of Verona Beach.
Romeo raises their hopes that he may live. (“Courage man, the hurt cannot be much.”); but Mercutio seems to know that he is a dead man. “A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me: I have it, And soundly too: your houses!” The dramatic and terrifying image of worm’s meat makes Mercutio’s last words very powerful; and his cursing of the Capulets and the Montagues shows that he blames their useless feud for his death.
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
In the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrman uses camera shots, hidden symbols and a quick introduction to capture the hatred and tension between the Montagues and Capulets. To give us background information on the feuding families Luhrman begins the movie with a news reporter broadcasting about Romeo and Juliet which is followed by a bunch of newspaper headlines about the competitive families. A shot of the city is featured, depicting Capulet and Montague sky scrapers on opposite sides of the road. The city shot and the newspaper articles give us the impression that the two families, Montague and Capulets are enemies and are constantly rivalling and are mortal enemies.
Mercutio’s death scene in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is often overlooked due to the emphasis on Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. However, the scene showcases a variety of different literary devices such as satire and irony to convey these thematic topics to further develop the plot and theme, making it very important to the play.
William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of the tragic love between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. The play has been reinterpreted throughout time and Baz Luhrmann’s film version, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, uses a modern setting to tell the tale. Luhrmann’s cinematic understanding reinforces the key themes of love, fate and hate as he explores Shakespeare’s famous play.
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.
In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, about two love struck teenagers whom aren’t able to be together due to their families feud/ social situation. There are two key themes that of love and hate. Before Romeo and Juliet meet, the audience is only aware that he is a Montague and that she is a Capulet. This adds to the scene being so dramatically effective as do other happenings throughout the length of the scene. These include the speech of Capulet and the happy and joyous mood of the party, The romantic speech of Romeo, The hatred and harshness of Tybalt’s speech, a direct contrast with that of Romeo’s and the drama when the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet first meet.
Act III, scene i of Romeo & Juliet is the climax of the story, in which two fights are portrayed, one between Mercutio and Tybalt, and one between Romeo and Tybalt, which lead to the deaths of both Mercutio and Tybalt. When portrayed in film form in Zeffirelli’s 1968 version, and Luhrmann’s 1996 version, there are many differences, and similarities. While these two films are telling the same story, it is the differences between the two that lead to Luhrmann’s 1996 version being superior. Due to its more dramatic settings, and character interactions and actor portrayals.
In Luhrmann’s film, Romeo’s love for Mercutio becomes prominent when Tybalt slays Mercutio at the abandoned theatre. Romeo’s compassion for his friend draws his fury; rage leading him to challenge Tybalt to a duel to the death. Romeo kills Tybalt at the monument in the streets of Verona Beach to avenge Mercutio. This exhibits his love towards his fallen friend. To add on, Romeo’s overwhelming love for Juliet allows him to fight his way through the police and the chaotic atmosphere to reach Capel's monument. This shows Romeo’s love to meet Juliet again is beyond his willingness to face death straight on. Additionally, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet’s mansion to speak of his love for Juliet. He states, “And but thou love me, let them find me here. / My life were better ended by their hate / Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love” (II.ii.75-77). He expresses that if Juliet’s love was not returned, he would rather die than live without Juliet’s love, thus showing love connects to the tragedy of death. In conclusion, Romeo’s compassion for Mercutio and his love for Juliet show that love guides people to make decisions that inevitably result in the outcome of
Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet has been reimagined many times across different mediums. One interpretation that stands out among the rest is Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film of the same name. The most shocking and powerful difference between Luhrmann’s work and other films or stage productions of this piece, is the movie’s setting. Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet is set in the modern city of Verona Beach, New York, ruled by two powerful business families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Themes, language, and ideas remain the same, while places, props, and wardrobes are updated to the twentieth century. This compelling change helps emphasize the violent, fast-paced, and chaotic society of the play, which comes to precipitate the tragic demise of the two main characters.
In Luhrmann’s movie, there are two rival gangs known as the Montague and the Capulet. The movie is set in Verona Beach which is like a modern version of Verona. Romeo, son of the head Montague, falls in love with Juliet which is
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy that involves young lovers, their “untimely death,” and a feud between their two families. The Capulets and the Montagues war against each other. The feud continues to escalate and provides the background for the story of these “two star-crossed lovers.” This literary masterpiece is still relevant today since it involves parental ambition, family fighting, and young love.