Techniques Used to Direct Two Film Versions of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Comparing the Openings of the Film Versions of Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann

Comparison of the Opening Sequences of Two Different Versions of Romeo and Juilet The objective of this essay is to compare two different film adaptations of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juilet. Franco Zefferelli directed the first rendition of this play in 1968. This was the more conventional, traditional version of the play. It was slow, peaceful, and in my opinion, how Shakespeare would've wanted it.

In addition, a difference in the film by Baz Luhrmann, compared to the play by Shakespeare is the prologue and chorus. In Shakespeare’s original production, the chorus would have entered the Globe Theatre, and to gain the audiences’ attention, would yell “Two households, both alike in dignity” and the rest of his part. In Luhrmanns’ portrayal of the chorus, he instead uses close up shots of a television with an African American woman delivering a news report. Whereas Shakespeare’s audience were aurally dependent, modern audiences rely immensely on visual aspects of Luhrmanns’ ‘Romeo+Juliet’. The use of the television ‘caught’ the contemporary audiences’ eye and the African American woman represents the historically important

was the first film of Romeo and Juliet. It was produced in 1968 and it

“The most filmed of all plays, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, with its universal themes… remains uniquely adaptable for any time period,” (Botnick, 2002). Directors Franco Zeffirelli (1968) and Baz Luhrman

exact to what we read in the book. Romeo sees what he perceives to be

Baz Lurhmann’s creation of the film Romeo and Juliet has shown that today’s audience can still understand and appreciate William Shakespeare. Typically, when a modern audience think of Shakespeare, they immediately think it will be boring, yet Lurhmann successfully rejuvenates Romeo and Juliet. In his film production he uses a number of different cinematic techniques, costumes and a formidably enjoyable soundtrack; yet changes not one word from Shakespeare’s original play, thus making it appeal to a modern audience.

Analysis of a Scene from Luhrmann's Production of Romeo and Juliet It seems interesting at first that Baz Luhrmann should choose to rework Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into a modern movie. However, when you think about the aims of a modern film-maker such as wanting to really affect the audience and create a series of moving and powerful images shot through with dialogue, then it is less surprising that Romeo and Juliet was Luhrmann's choice. Shakespeare's play is filled with emotion and suspense, so had limitless potential to be made into a great movie. Luhrmann adapted the play for the big screen very effectively, managing to portray the emotion of the film using visual storytelling techniques

Luhrmann further modernised his film adaption by altering the play’s original prologue. The movie begins with a prologue made as a television broadcast. In doing this it informs the audience of the violence taking place between the two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The prologue differs dramatically from Zeffirelli’s interpretation. The 1968 version of the prologue is retold by a monotonous narrator, who simply tells the tale of the feuding families set over a milieu of an Italian city. In restructuring the prologue Luhrmann has made his interpretation of Romeo and Juliet more appealing to a teenage audience. Adolescent viewers can identify more with a modern television broadcast in comparison to a tedious monologue recital.

There are millions of different well-known plays around the world, some of these plays have been performed many times over and over again. Even though these plays are repeatedly performed, every time there is a difference, every time something has changed. Directors have this power and ability, to be able to change how a character looks, or the point of view, or even just the facial expressions of the character. All of these little differences affect the play and make it look brand new every single time. This will be shown through the comparison of two different Romeo and Juliet production of Act 2 Scene 2, the balcony scene. One of the productions is by Franco Zeffirelli and the other by Baz Luhrmann. In my opinion, the production that was the most

play was to be acted; this had an entrance and an exit. There was no

Comparing Luhrmann and Zeffirelli’s Productions of Romeo and Juliet There are many similarities and differences between the two productions of Romeo and Juliet; however, one of the main differences is the setting. Franco Zeffirelli’s production made in 1968 is set in Verona, Italy. This is an ideal setting because this is where Shakespeare intended the play to be originally. On the other hand, Baz Luhrmann’s production of 1997 is set on Verona beach, California.

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

The scene that was most different between the play and the movie of Romeo and Juliet was how the two crossed lovers first met each other. In the play Romeo and the Montague boys find out about the Capulet party through a poor peasant who could not read the invitations. While in the movie the Capulet party is announced through a newscast over T.V. I think the director changed this so the invite can go more along with the time period of the movie. This could change how the viewers see it by making the invite less secret. Over a newscast anyone who was paying attention to the T.V. could of heard the invite. Another main difference in this scene would be Romeo and Juliet first seeing each other in the bathroom across a fish tank rather than across the ballroom in the play. This could take away from the romantic side of the two first seeing each other. In the play it seems Romeo and Juliet have more privacy when they first speak to each other. In the movie the two are getting on and off an elevator just not to be seen. This could add more suspense to the scene and make the viewers see the movie from a lofty viewpoint.

Both the Zeffirelli and Luhrmann directed versions of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet are similar in multiple ways such as characters, words, and plot line. In each movie, there is a feud between the characters of two families. In Zeffirelli’s version, it is the Montagues against the Capulets, which is the same as Luhrmann’s reenactment. At the beginning of the Luhrmann film, the prologue is stated unedited from Shakespeare’s words. The Zeffirelli version has the prologue at the beginning, equally unedited.