Romeo and Juliet Movie comparison Essay

In Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, is a traditional adaptation of Shakespeare’s original Romeo and Juliet, with some variations. Baz Luhrmann directed the 1996 version, also known as the MTV Romeo † Juliet. This version is very modernized, but keeps the language intact with few changes.

The clearest similarity is the feud between the two families. The classic story of Romeo and Juliet revolves around the two young lovers who struggle to stay together, because of the feud between their families. The two’s families have been in a feud for years, Romeo belongs to the Montague family and Juliet belongs to the Capulet family, and both families despise each other. Since the families hate each other so much Romeo and Juliet, or Gnomeo and Juliet, are forced to hide their love. In both the movie Gnomeo and Juliet and Romeo and Juliet the main characters are forced to hide their love due to the two families’ feud. In the movie

There were quite of few differences between William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play and Baz Luhrmann’s movie based on the play. For example, the ending scene in the movie left out a lot. Paris never showed up at the cemetery to place flowers at Juliet’s tomb. Thus, Paris and Romeo never got in a quarrel that had ended in Paris’s death. Baz Luhrmann probably left out this small part in the movie because Paris wasn’t a major character in the movie. Also at that part in the scene there was already a lot going on, so leaving out that fight between Romeo and Paris wouldn’t have taken a huge toll in that certain scene. In the play that small detail told the readers that Paris’s love was true for Juliet. However by leaving out that part out in the movie it didn’t tell the audience if Paris was actually into the marriage for true love. Also Juliet was awake before Romeo died as well. However he didn’t notice that she was awake quick enough before he had drank the poison. By having Juliet wake before Romeo passed away made that

The director had decided to modernize the entire play. By modernising the play, changes to the weapons they used, their method of transportation and their homes, were made. Instead of using swords in the play they used guns in the movie. Instead of walking, they travelled by car and instead of usual homes fighting against each other, it was more like two big businesses as their names were shown on billboard’s in Fair Verona. The movie took place in a fairly large city, whereas the play took place in a small town.

The difference that strikes my interest the most is (Shakespeare V. iii. 5-170). Anyone who has partaken in both the play and the film knows what I am referencing. In Luhrmann's literature piece, the play, Juliet awakens just before Romeo drinks the poison she hesitates and allows him to swallow the poison. She is distraught from the potion she had taken to fake her own death.

No one tells the story the same as the original. Over time people start to change stories to make them more interesting. Franco Zeffirelli 1968 version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet sticks more to the original Shakespearean language and the simple set design also expressing love in more body language, Carlo Carlei 2013 version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is more easily understood due to some language changes to make the film more modern also set design making it more interesting to watch and character movement showing true love.

While on the other hand, in the modern version, Romeo observed Juliet dance. Another difference was that in the modern version, the maid caught Romeo and Juliet kiss inside the elevator but, in the original version, they are not caught. In addition, the production was different because, in the modern version, there are fireworks and the decorations were fancier. Juliet's house was fancy as well in contrast, to the house

Romeo and Juliet is an iconic play that has had a big impact on many of today's entertainment creators. The play Romeo and Juliet was first published in 1597 in the First Quarto and it was and is still to this day a masterpiece. To this day movies are still coming out with different settings and twists but with the same story line of Romeo and Juliet. This story of Romeo and Juliet has come out in many different forms, such as movies, books, and hundreds of plays. Between the two movies, Baz Luhrmann’s 199 Romeo and Juliet and Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 Romeo and Juliet there are many differences in the movie that changes big things.

The 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet is more tightly; aligned to what Shakespeare intended in consideration of the setting, Juliet’s impression, and verbal exchanges. When analyzing each film, it is clear to see the same plot, just portrayed differently. To begin, the settings of both films took place at the Capulet’s home where Romeo came to meet Juliet. While the 1968 film took more of an authentic path, the 1996 film took an modern path. In the 1996 film, the main setting was the pool, which strays from the play because it is the balcony scene.

The films had their similarities such as the main character Romeo was always white in the films. Also you rarely seen Romeo’s parents. In all the films Juliet resembles the sword of death while dying next to Romeo. The nurse in all the films had the same mentality as one another. Also each author thought that Juliet was trying

Time Period: The time period in the movie of Romeo and Juliet was far more modern than in the book. In the book they got around on foot and in horse and buggy’s, but in the movie they got around in cars like when Romeo killed Tybalt they showed up in cop cars. Also when the characters would fight they used guns which made the feeling of the story very different. Another thing I noticed in the difference of time period was instead of having Capulet’s servant going and telling people of their party like it was in the book, they televised the party invite to Capulet’s party on TV in the movie.

The only thing that is drastically different than The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in Romeo + Juliet is the setting. Romeo + Juliet is set in Verona, but in a modern version. It is most likely set in a 90’s version of Verona. They have cars instead of horses, and guns instead of swords. Sir Capulet and Sir Montague are business men instead. As you could probably tell, the more modern setting makes Romeo + Juliet more fast paced, and more action

Zeffirelli stays true to the Shakespearean masterpiece and sets it in medieval Italy. It takes place on a summer night at Juliet’s castle. Romeo climbs to see Juliet, who is daydreaming on her balcony, and when Romeo gets to the balcony, they profess their love for each other. This follows the book almost exactly. However, Luhrmann takes a more modern view on it. His Romeo and Juliet presumably takes place in the fifties. He maintains the general plot line, in which Romeo travels through a forest to profess his love to Juliet. But the similarities in plot and setting end there. One major difference is Juliet’s house. It is a modern mansion. However, Luhrmann alludes to the original novel’s setting by giving the mansion a very Italian look. It has white marble and even Italian-esque statues. Luhrmann also does not have the scene take place on a balcony, but by a pool. The characters eventually fall in, and this creates a more adult, sexual feeling because the clothes cling to them. Even though this does not stay true to the original, it still alludes to the original book in a quite effective manner and still portrays the sheer romance between Romeo and Juliet. Though the movies take place in different times and take very different approaches, they both effectively represent the setting and plot of Romeo and

A lot of popular books and plays have been made into movies. Although directors try to keep the movie as close to the book or play, changes have to be made. One great example of this is Catching Fire and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. (Collins, Lawrence). A major chunk of the book is left out in the movie. This change was probably made to keep the movie from being four hours long. This change causes some crucial details from the book to be left out of the movie. Many other books and movies have differences. Some differences between Romeo and Juliet and Romeo+Juliet were the time period in which they are set, the party thrown by the Capulets, and the way Juliet takes her own life (Shakespeare, Luhrmann). A similarity between the play and movie was the language that the characters used. The director would make these changes to modernize the movie so younger audiences would be attracted to watch the movie.

Two different actors, Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli, take on the challenge of recreating the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Some of the comparisons of the two Romeo and Juliet plays, by William Shakespeare, is the dialogue and the colors. For the dialogue both directors use some of the same lines of the William Shakespeare play. “Part fools! Put up our swords; you know not what you do” (Act I, Scene i, p. 13). Another comparison between the Zefferelli and the Luhrmann film is, they kept the same names of the characters. In the Luhrmann film Benvolio is that same name and has the same lines in the Zefferelli film. Another Character that shows this is Tybalt.