romeo and juliet movie essay

How Romeo + Juliet Shook Up Shakespeare for a New Generation

Twenty-five years later, Baz Luhrmann's adaption of the classic play still resonates.

I was in my ninth grade English class when I watched Romeo + Juliet for the first time. It was the early 2000s: the era of flip phones, AIM, and Myspace. Shakespeare had long carried the reputation of being tough to teach, as language has evolved over the centuries. But in the new millennium, literature teachers were facing unchartered territory in the battle for students’ attention spans.

When my class watched Romeo and Juliet , Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation, it didn’t offer much help in translating the words of the 16th-century playwright for a 21st-century audience. So when my teacher rolled in the TV on wheels and popped in the VHS tape of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version—which marks its 25th anniversary today—my peers and I were predictably skeptical.

But it didn’t take long for even the most Shakespeare-averse student to become totally enthralled with the dizzying, vibrant cinematography that’s now a cornerstone of Luhrmann’s canon. Set in a fictional, modern-day Verona Beach (a real-life mash-up of Miami, Mexico City, and Boca del Rio, Veracruz), the movie opens with a news anchor reading the play’s famous prologue and setting the scene for “where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.”

What follows are two hours of unrelenting action and drama set against the most widely read love story of all time. Of course, everyone knows this story will end tragically, but before then, a lot has to happen. The play may be about a teen romance, but it’s also about the ways in which class, family, and religion shape who and what we love.

Luhrmann’s lavish, visually indulgent interpretation helped bring these themes to life for a new generation. As over-the-top as Romeo + Juliet may be, there’s an unsettling realism to Luhrmann’s contemporary retelling of the age-old story. It seems completely plausible that these spoiled kids from wealthy, warring families would cross paths and end up falling for one another. Maybe not within the span of 24 hours, but still, it feels like it could happen.

Part of what makes Luhrmann’s adaptation so accessible are its stars. Leonardo DiCaprio is in a league of his own today, but back in 1996, he was still pre- Titanic and had done mostly television up to that point. Making him Romeo all but cemented his heartthrob status and propelled him into a new level of celebritydom. Claire Danes followed a similar path after stepping into the role of Juliet, becoming a sought-after actress who’s still serving up emotions as the queen of ugly crying.

In addition to the two leads, John Leguizamo as Tybalt and Harold Perrineau as Mercutio are also perfectly cast, bringing not just diversity in terms of ethnicity and skin color, but also diversity of craft and interpretation. Leguizamo’s Tybalt is snaky and fueled by a constant need for rage and revenge; Perrineau’s Mercutio lives for the spotlight and bending and blurring gender norms.

Both ping-pong between unapologetically flamboyant and hopelessly vulnerable, and their performances leave absolutely everything on the screen. And then there’s Paul Rudd, whose ageless charm somehow makes Dave Paris—the nobleman Juliet’s parents are trying to set her up with—a rather lovable character, despite being totally oblivious to the fact that Juliet is enamored with someone else.

As he smokes a cigarette and roams around the sandy, orange-drenched beach, Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host” starts playing. The moment is so emo that any teen—regardless of era—could relate. (Has Olivia Rodrigo watched Romeo + Juliet yet? Inquiring minds need to know.)

There's also the meet-cute between Romeo and Juliet in the bathroom of the Capulet mansion, as “I’m Kissing You” by Des’ree is playing in the background—only to reveal that Des’ree herself is, in fact, singing at the big party in the other room. I still get goosebumps every time I think about it.

Other notable musical moments from the film come via the late Quindon Tarver, who as a choir boy sings soul-moving covers of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and Rozalla’s “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good).” Both renditions are included in the soundtrack, which went on to sell more than two million copies, earning double-platinum status.

Reception to the movie was mixed at the time. Roger Ebert wasn’t totally sold on the radical retelling, referring to it as “the mess that the new punk version of Romeo & Juliet makes of Shakespeare’s tragedy.” The late film critic gave it just two stars, calling both DiCaprio and Danes “talented and appealing young actors,” but who were, at least from his vantage point, “in over their heads.”

Despite critics being divided, the film grossed nearly $150 million worldwide and went on to defeat Titanic at the 1998 BAFTAs for best direction, original music, and production design. Considering the manner in which Titanic dominated pop culture discourse for the last few years of the ’90s, that’s a real achievement.

Few contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare’s work have been as culturally resonant, likely because none has been able to capture the specific combination of star power, moving musicality, and visual intensity that Luhrmann achieved with Romeo + Juliet . One noteworthy mention is Maqbool , a 2003 Indian crime drama based on Macbeth , starring Irrfan Khan as the titular character. It didn’t receive nearly as much global recognition, but if you like seeing Shakespeare set in the modern world, it's essential.

Perhaps what makes Romeo + Juliet as relevant as ever is its ability to be rooted in the tradition of the past while still making room for tomorrow and the way of the future, whatever that may be. That overwhelming sense of uncertainty that encompasses our youth—it never really goes away. Time morphing into something intangible and hard to measure seems to be the essence of adulthood—especially in our current climate.

I often feel disconnected from the now, because I cannot make sense of it. That’s how the characters in the film are portrayed, too, and their aimlessness feels like a kind of comforting kinship that I can revisit over and over again. In truth, Romeo + Juliet made Shakespeare as timeless as ever.

Mekita Rivas is a Washington, DC based writer and editor. She primarily covers style, culture, and politics. In addition to Harper’s BAZAAR , her writing has been published in The New York Times , The Washington Post , Vogue , Glamour , Cosmopolitan , InStyle , and others. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram .

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Romeo and Juliet (Film 1968)

Romeo and juliet: a film study anonymous.

Romeo and Juliet - as characters, as symbols of love, and as symbols of innocence torn apart by a hardheaded society - are cultural icons so ingrained in society that they are often synonymous with the very concepts they represent. After centuries of study and countless productions around the globe, Romeo and Juliet remains, line by line, exactly as it was recorded in the quartos and folios of Shakespeare's players themselves. Although the text itself is unchanging, different visions of the work offer a wealth of interpretations of this single, 3006-line play. This study will focus on two cinematic representations of the play: Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 work, and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 production. In each of these films, the final scene of the play serves as the ultimate expression of each filmmaker's intended message. Zeffirelli, holding true to the text, reveals that despite their attempts to ignore it, the lovers in their final scene remain a part of the suffocating society that rules the rest of their lives, as revealed by the omnipresence of the outside world in their most intimate moments. Luhrmann's adaptation of the final scene, however, suggests that Romeo and Juliet have created an idealized world...

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Romeo and juliet: 20 differences between the play and the movie.

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6 Cleverly Disguised Teen Movies That Are Actually Shakespeare Adaptations

Rosaline cast & character guide, john wick's new spinoff movie can't forget chapter 4's breakout character.

• Verona becomes Verona Beach in Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, set in modern times with guns and TV news updates.
• Luhrmann modernizes Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, changing characters and setting but keeping original dialogue.
• Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of Romeo + Juliet uses guns instead of swords, updated costumes, and modernized character names.

In 1996, Baz Luhrmann turned his eye to the works of Shakespeare and created a finished product with several differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and the movie. William Shakespeare's 38 plays have proven to be quite memorable, but the one most adapted is Romeo and Juliet. It may have been first performed in the 1500s, but elements of the tragic play ("the star-crossed lovers") can be found in the likes of several popular TV shows, rom-coms, musicals, and even video games. None remained as loyal while making such drastic changes, as Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet .

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There are many modernizations of Shakespeare's works , such as 10 Things I Hate About You bringing Taming the Shrew to modern times. Few have done anything as kinetically different as Luhrmann's story using the original dialogue, but setting it in a modern-day Verona Beach. Shot almost like a long-form music video, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet uses the original Shakespeare dialogue, but intersperses it with television footage, news crews, and car chases, making it like nothing fans of the Bard had ever seen while making it accessible for contemporary teenagers to understand the tragic love story.

Some of these adaptions are popular teen movies dating back to the 80s, many of which cleverly adopted many themes of Shakespeare's original plays.

The Setting Is More Modern In The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Fair verona becomes verona beach.

The original version of Romeo and Juliet is set long ago, with most guesses being the 14th or 15th century. People acted differently and the world operated with a different structure. The main change here is that Baz Luhrmann’s version is set in the modern-day (or at least 1990s America).

The Romeo and Juliet movie changes to allow cars, guns, FedEx trucks, cafés, and TVs. Everyone is also dressed in modern clothes and many people have dyed their hair. It couldn’t look more different, but the language remains unchanged.

Some Of The Lines Have Either Been Cut Or Altered In The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Only one character uses iambic pentameter.

Despite the language of the play remaining mostly unchanged, notably with the characters still referring to their guns as "swords," a few things did have to be adapted if it was to be shown on the big screen. One of the differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and movie was Luhrmann cutting some of the lines since he only had a certain run time to tell his version. Additionally, despite the majority of Romeo and Juliet being written in iambic pentameter, Father Laurence (Pete Postlethwaite) is the only character in Romeo + Juliet to speak in this meter .

The Montagues And Capulets Are Not Just Warring Families In Romeo + Juliet

The montagues and capulets are mafia empires running corporations.

Tying in with the updated location and time period, the actual presence and existence of the Montagues and Capulets are drastically different from the original play. Rather than being two families at war, the difference between the Romeo and Juliet play and movie is that the war here is between two rival businesses. In the movie, it is rival mafia empires. That made them criminal empires rather than prominent families. However, they pretend to be legitimate corporations with law enforcement in their pockets. With this comes a change in motivation for a lot of the major plot points in the story.

The Messenger/Prologue Chorus Is Replaced

News reports act as the chorus.

As the film modernizes the original play, it naturally had to find a new way to present the role usually fulfilled by the chorus, such as in the opening prologue. This is cleverly done by having a news anchor read these lines, presenting the chorus lines as if it were a news report on television screens .

Additionally, the TV also fulfills the role of the messenger that was in the play. Instead of the cast finding out about the Capulet's party by messenger, they see it announced on TV. This is not only a good way to modernize the story, but to make it work cinematically.

Rosaline's Role Is Reduced Drastically In The Plot Of Romeo + Juliet

Rosaline is not even seen in most adaptations.

Rosaline is a character that doesn't actually appear in the play but still plays an important factor. She is Romeo's (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) first love and the reason he is distraught at the beginning of the story, as she does not love him, instead swearing a vow of chastity. Rosaline is the main reason the Montagues visit the Capulet's party, as she is meant to be there.

In the film, Rosaline's role is reduced, though she still acts as a device to get Romeo to the party. Despite Romeo brooding at the beginning, his feelings for Rosaline appear to be presented as more of a crush, and Romeo's emotions are downplayed when Benvolio (Dash Mihok) asks why he is sad.

Rosaline's fate after the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet's romance has actually prompted much speculation. Books and movies both have speculated about how Rosaline might have reacted to her previous suitor dying after a whirlwind romance. Shows like Still Star-Crossed and movies like Hulu's Rosaline have attempted to answer those questions.

The romantic comedy Rosaline has a great cast full of talented young stars and Hollywood veterans. Here's a guide to the film's cast and characters.

The Balcony Scene Is Cut From The Romeo + Juliet Movie

The scene plays out in a pool instead.

The balcony scene is arguably the most iconic scene of not only Romeo and Juliet, but of Shakespeare's entire works. It is a scene frequently referenced in pop culture and it is well-known to most people, even if they have never read or watched the play in any form. So it's pretty surprising that the film decided to change this legendary scene. In Romeo and Juliet 1996 vs the play, Luhrmann first reduced the 190 lines to just 90 lines. Secondly, the setting changed from an orchard scene to a more modern scene in a swimming pool .

The Tone Of The Marriage Proposal Is A Lot More Immature

The romeo + juliet movie makes it seem impulsive.

In the original play, the scene where Romeo proposes that he and Juliet (Claire Danes) should get married is normally perceived as being a serious part of the play. However, one of the differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and the movie is that the characters are less serious.

Instead, they are giggling and laughing as they relay the lines that are more commonly acted out more earnestly on stage. Of course, this could be Luhrmann's way of presenting how happy the two are, so joyous that they keep smiling and laughing, but it downplays the importance of their union and how it would unite their two houses.

Paris’ Death Is Excluded From The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Romeo kills paris in the play.

In the original version of Romeo and Juliet , Romeo goes to the Capulet crypt to find Juliet. However, when he gets there, Paris is there grieving the loss of Juliet and Romeo kills him during a fight. The Romeo and Juliet movie changes this. Firstly, Paris is called Dave Paris in the Romeo and Juliet cast , and secondly, he isn’t in the crypt at all, meaning Romeo doesn’t bump into anyone there.

In turn, this means Dave Paris ends the film very much alive , while the Romeo and Juliet play provided that cruel twist ending everyone is too familiar with. This makes a major change, as his death showed how the battle even killed innocent people who were not part of the feud.

Lady Montague Is Alive At The End Of The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Lady montague dies after romeo is exiled in the play.

Although six people died in the play, Baz Luhrmann's version reduced this number to four as he left two individuals alive. Not only did he omit Paris' death from his script, but he also omitted Lady Montague's death too (who can be seen sitting in the limousine at the very end).

While the Shakespearean play said she died as a result of Romeo being exiled, it appeared that Luhrmann didn't think it was as important in his adaptation since she didn't have much impact on the story. Of course, her fate could have remained the same, but it was not part of the movie's tale.

The Montagues And Capulets Don't Reconcile At The End Of Romeo + Juliet

The families symbolically reconcile in the play.

Luhrmann continued to create differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and movie by not including the reconciliation. This came in the final act of the tragedy when the two fathers walked into the church and discovered that their children died. To pay tribute, they decide to end the feud and build two statues of them side-by-side.

It's possible Luhrmann decided not to include this scene because it overlooked Romeo and Juliet's deaths. However, they were the most important people in their parent's lives, so Luhrmann instead had them contemplate the brevity of the situation and how their violent feud cost several people their lives.

Balthasar And Friar Laurence Don't Appear In The Ending Of Romeo + Juliet

Balthasar and friar laurence explain events in the play's final act.

While they appeared in the movie version, some people might not have realized that Balthasar (Jesse Bradford) and Father Laurence should also have been involved in the final act. In the play, it is Balthasar and Friar Laurence who discover Romeo and Paris' bodies and explain why this tragedy came about. However, given that the movie is set in a more modern era, where technology and autopsies are more advanced, and marriage certificates are easy to track, the two families would have been able to quickly figure out what happened, which would mean that this scene was not needed.

The Prince And Paris' Familial Relationship Is Excluded From Romeo + Juliet

Paris is the son of the governor.

With Paris still alive at the end of the movie, it appears that Lurhmann had cut the familial ties between Paris and Captain Prince (Vondie Curtis-Hall), since they were declared "kinsmen" in the play. Although some might say that it didn't really affect the story as much since Paris and Prince Escalus didn't really interact, it changed the interpretation of the play slightly.

Not only was Paris' death meant to highlight the immense tragedy further, but the Prince's grief was to show that innocent people were also caught up in this family's feud. Once again, this allowed Luhrmann to keep the focus on Romeo and Juliet and not as much on the other casualties.

Paris' Familial Relationship With Mercutio Is Also Excluded From The Movie

They are referenced as kinsmen in the play.

Since the play established that Paris and Mercutio (Harold Perrineau) were kinsmen to the Prince, it also appears that the movie adaptation excluded their familial ties to each other. The only one Lurhmann keeps intact is that of Mercutio and Captain Prince.

Given that Mercutio played a pivotal role in Luhrmann's version of the play , it makes sense the director kept Captain Prince and Mercutio's relationship as it emphasized that even outsiders can be drawn into the family feud. It also makes a lot of sense that he would cut Mercutio and Paris's ties too, since they didn't even interact in the play or acknowledge their relationship with each other.

Juliet Wakes Up Before Romeo Dies

Juliet wakes up after romeo's death in the play.

The twist ending is one of the reasons why Romeo + Juliet is one of the most memorable adaptations. Where the play sees a heartbroken Romeo take his own life before Juliet wakes up, one of the differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and movie is that the film changes this.

Instead of the heartbreakingly unfulfilled, and brutal ending of the original, Luhrmann has Juliet wake up just before Romeo dies, so they can share a quick kiss before she takes her own life. It was a silly end that Hot Fuzz made fun of in its mock Romeo and Juliet play, which itself was the cast adapting the Luhrmann movie - not the play, including the movie's song "Lovefool."

The Misuse Of Drugs Is Different In The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Romeo is seen taking a pill early in the movie.

One of the differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and the movie is its depiction of drugs. In the play, the only time "drugs" are used is when Juliet takes tonic to fake her death or the poison Romeo drinks at the end. However, the misuse of drugs is completely different in the Lurhmann version as Romeo is seen taking a pill before he enters the Capulets' party.

While this might have been the director's way of making it modern, it added to the symbolism and hidden meanings. This isn't to say there weren't drugs in the 15th century, as marijuana (The Herb) was around in those days, which created hashish. With that said, Shakespeare didn't use it in his play.

Baz Lurhmann Replaces Swords With Guns In The Romeo + Juliet Movie

The guns are actually named swords.

Baz Luhrman’s film replaced the swords from the original with much more modern guns. Swords obviously require a lot of close combat, which means fights need to be done from close range. A gun could end a fight in less than a second, which could reduce the dramatic tension. Having said that, shootouts give the scene the Hollywood edge and make the film fit the 1990s more.

It was also needed because people in the 1990s wouldn't likely be carrying swords in a beachside town. Luckily, the dialogue still referred to the guns as "swords," keeping the callback to the play intact in this Romeo and Juliet adaptation . The guns were also stamped with the name "sword" to make the naming convention make sense .

The Costumes In Romeo + Juliet Are More Reflective Of Their Personalities

Other adaptations have simply employed masks to cover identities.

During the Capulet party, the costumes in the original Shakespeare play seem nothing particularly outlandish, with the characters wearing Elizabethan garments that would have been worn during any part of that era. However, in the film, Luhrmann decides to dress each character in a costume that reflects their personality.

The audience sees Juliet with ethereal angel wings and Tybalt dressed as the devil. It's not just the party. Mercutio’s glitzy lingerie set and cape were perfect for his character's personality and the flaming sacred heart on the Hawaiian shirt Romeo wore was iconic. Australian costume designer Kym Barrett delivered strongly for the movie .

Baz Lurhmann Gave The Characters Modern Names In The Romeo + Juliet Movie

Lurhmann also gave some characters first names.

Baz Luhrmann kept the dialogue the same as it would have been so many hundreds of years ago, but he changed the Romeo and Juliet character names . Paris gets a first name in Dave. The Montagues are named Caroline and Ted, while the Capulets are named Fulgencio and Gloria. Friar Laurence is turned into Father Laurence and Prince Escalus becomes Captain Prince, a police chief. These differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and the movie make sense. Friar makes no sense in 1990s America and the police officer being a captain is also the proper title for the time.

Some Minor Characters' Affiliations Are Swapped Around In Romeo + Juliet

This allowed some characters to have larger roles.

Luhrmann decided to shuffle the affiliations of certain minor characters around. It’s a little confusing for those already familiar with the characters and doesn’t seem to make much sense or have any reasoning behind it. Abram (Vincent Laresca) and Petruchio (Carlos Manzo) become Capulets despite being Montagues in the original, while Sampson (Jamie Kennedy) and Gregory (Zak Orth) are Montagues in the film. Sampson, in particular, is an interesting one, as he becomes Romeo’s cousin, whereas before he was nothing more than a Capulet servant.

Friar John Is Excluded From The Romeo + Juliet Movie Altogether

Friar john isn't needed in the modern story.

Although he isn’t exactly a huge presence in the original play, Friar John nevertheless exists and has a certain role to fulfill. His character is used as a tool to send a letter from Friar Laurence to Romeo, but regrettably, he is unable to fulfill his duty because he becomes quarantined after an outbreak of plague. His small role is ultimately unsuccessful, but this makes him hugely important to the plot. He was supposed to tell Romeo about Juliet's false death, and since he never arrived, it led to Romeo's death.

Of the differences between the Romeo and Juliet play and the movie, this one might have been omitted because Laurence could just overnight the letter, which he did. There's no need for someone to deliver a message on foot between two people they know when such things as overnight mail service exist. It's one of the Romeo and Juliet differences that makes the most sense .

Romeo + Juliet

• romeo and juliet (2013)

Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Romeo and Juliet: Introduction

Romeo and juliet: plot summary, romeo and juliet: detailed summary & analysis, romeo and juliet: themes, romeo and juliet: quotes, romeo and juliet: characters, romeo and juliet: symbols, romeo and juliet: literary devices, romeo and juliet: quizzes, romeo and juliet: theme wheel, brief biography of william shakespeare.

Historical Context of Romeo and Juliet

Other books related to romeo and juliet.

• Full Title: Romeo and Juliet
• When Written: Likely 1591-1595
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: “Bad quarto” (incomplete manuscript) printed in 1597; Second, more complete quarto printed in 1599; First folio, with clarifications and corrections, printed in 1623
• Literary Period: Renaissance
• Genre: Tragic play
• Setting: Verona, Italy
• Climax: Mistakenly believing that Juliet is dead, Romeo kills himself on her funeral bier by drinking poison. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and fatally stabs herself with his dagger.
• Antagonist: Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Tybalt

Extra Credit for Romeo and Juliet

Tourist Trap. Casa di Giulietta, a 12-century villa in Verona, is located just off the Via Capello (the possible origin of the anglicized surname “Capulet”) and has become a major tourist attraction over the years because of its distinctive balcony. The house, purchased by the city of Verona in 1905 from private holdings, has been transformed into a kind of museum dedicated to the history of Romeo and Juliet , where tourists can view set pieces from some of the major film adaptations of the play and even leave letters to their loved ones. Never mind that “the balcony scene,” one of the most famous scenes in English literature, may never have existed—the word “balcony” never appears in the play, and balconies were not an architectural feature of Shakespeare’s England—tourists flock from all over to glimpse Juliet’s famous veranda.

Love Language. While much of Shakespeare’s later work is written in a combination of verse and prose (used mostly to offer distinction between social classes, with nobility speaking in verse and commoners speaking in prose), Romeo and Juliet is notable for its heady blend of poetic forms. The play’s prologue is written in the form of a sonnet, while most of the dialogue adheres strictly to the rhythm of iambic pentameter. Romeo and Juliet alter their cadences when speaking to each another, using more casual, naturalistic speech. When they talk about other potential lovers, such as Rosaline and Paris, their speech is much more formal (to reflect the emotional falsity of those dalliances.) Friar Laurence speaks largely in sermons and aphorisms, while the nurse speaks in blank verse.

“Romeo and Juliet”: Play and Film Essay

When speaking about English plays, the majority of the general public immediately starts thinking of William Shakespeare. People who like his works and those who know just a little about him are definitely familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet, and its famous lines “For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo” (Shakespeare 46). The play was rather popular in the 16th century when it was written but a new wave of attention it received in the 20th century due to the creation of filmed versions. Even though the film directed by Baz Luhrmann is considered to be the best innovative adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”, it implements lots of differences such as those related to the props, settings, music, and language.

Just like Shakespeare, Luhrmann, showed his audience the story of two warring families. Their quarrels turn into fights with the weapon and negative consequences. The characters still have the same names, so that they can be easily differentiated and matched with one another. Those scenes and even dialogues that were written by Shakespeare can be found in the film, even those they are somehow changed to meet the requirements of the form (Lehmann 179).

Preminger et al. claim that poetry is to be educative and pleasurable and both versions of “Romeo and Juliet” meet this criterion regardless of the fact that they had to appeal to the audience of a different time (133). Shakespeare implemented the jokes that were close to his contemporaries, mentioned the hierarchy that was present in society, and even added some allusions to real landmark events that took place in the 16th century. Luhrmann, in his turn, tried not to focus on those outdated ideas and resorted to the pop culture, which revealed the interests of the 20th century. As a result, both the original author and the director of the filmed adaptation pleased and entertained their audience. They attracted their attention with beautiful costumes and appealed to their ears with popular music. In addition to that, they spread those morals that were critical to society and educated the representatives of the general public in this way.

The settings of the play and the film seem to be called in a similar way, but they can be found in different countries: Verona, Italy, and Verona Beach. The seaside area described in the adaptation resembles Miami, which means that the events were taken to another country. Of course, both settings reveal the environment that was peculiar to their time. In this way, people would hardly start thinking of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as they see a city that is full of modern cars, multistoried buildings, and even hot dog stands.

Those costumes that the author and the director wanted to see on their characters differ greatly, as they represent the fashion of two centuries. While in the play, people are in suits and dresses, the adaptation shows them in Hawaiian shirts and even leather clothes. The alterations of the traditional Elizabethan fashion also deal with the hairdo, as some of the Montagues have unnaturally colored hair even though they are boys.

The language of the characters also is not the same. Of course, it was not possible to make the readers hear English or Italian accent of some characters when they were reading “Romeo and Juliet,” but such peculiarities were mentioned and revealed on the stage. Still, the filmed adaptation does not represent them. The thing is that the director believed it to be unnecessary. He considered that American English suited the play adaptation and there was no necessity to implement any changes: “When Shakespeare wrote these plays, they were written for an accent that was much more like an American sound, and when you do Shakespeare with an American accent it makes the language very strong, very alive” (Film Education 15).

Music is one more element that makes the filmed adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” differ from the play and its performances. Luhrmann resorted to hip-hop music mainly. He added some sounds of electric guitar, which did not exist in the 16th century. When describing his decisions, the director claimed that he tried to add all varieties of music so that it could appeal to the diverse audience. In this way, he followed Shakespeare’s intention and gathered the contemporary church, folk, and popular music.

Having a closer look at Act One and the film scene that reveals those events that happen in it, the audience cannot but notice a range of differences. In Scene One, Samson and Gregory argue about their skills of swordplay near the Capulet’s house until Benvolio arrives, and Tybalt triggers the fight. In the film, Benvolio and the Montagues appear first in a car near a gas station where Tybalt and the Capulets arrive soon. In this scene, the fight starts, as one of the boys bites Abraham’s thumb. Here, the audience can see lots of differences in choreography in addition to the appearance of the new props. In the play, the boys are fighting with swords, which was typical for that time, while they have pistols in the film (Luhrmann). What is more, Shakespeare mentions that they are surrounded only by some observers, but Luhrmann makes them use other people’s cars and other extras. It is also interesting that the text of the adaptation does not change, and the characters speak of the weapon they do not actually have.

The scene on the balcony is a well-known part of the play, and the director wanted to be impressive and touching. It reveals the feelings of the main characters and allows the audience to see that Romeo and Juliet’s love is strong enough to deal with all problems so many professionals believe it to be the highlight of the story (Rocklin 56). The director reduced this part so that it became much shorter. He also alters the setting to the swimming pool of the Capulet’s house while originally everything happened in the orchard. The camera focuses on the main characters during their dialogue, which allows the viewers to perceive the importance of their words and feelings.

Thus, it can be concluded that the original play and its filmed adaptation reveal the same story of two young lovers even though they have a lot of differences. The author and the director wanted to make their audience familiar with the lives of Romeo and Juliet, so they did their best to make sure that their works would appeal to their contemporaries. In fact, this seems to be the main reason Luhrmann introduced a range of alterations to the play. His version was rather innovative, and it seemed that the director altered everything except for the love story, but the original play can still be easily recognized in his story.

Works Cited

Film Education. “ Teacher’s Notes .” Filmeduction , n.d. Web.

Lehmann, Courtney. Screen Adaptations: Romeo and Juliet . Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.

Luhrmann, Buz. “Romeo + Juliet.” YouTube , uploaded by Yi Tsou, 2016. Web.

Preminger, ‎Alex, Frank Warnke, ‎& O.B. Hardison. Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics , Princeton Legacy Library, 2015.

Rocklin, Edward. Romeo and Juliet . Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

Shakespeare, William. “ Romeo and Juliet .” Learningstorm , 2016. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, October 17). "Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romeo-and-juliet-play-and-film/

""Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film." IvyPanda , 17 Oct. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/romeo-and-juliet-play-and-film/.

IvyPanda . (2020) '"Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film'. 17 October.

IvyPanda . 2020. ""Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film." October 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romeo-and-juliet-play-and-film/.

1. IvyPanda . ""Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film." October 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romeo-and-juliet-play-and-film/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""Romeo and Juliet": Play and Film." October 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romeo-and-juliet-play-and-film/.

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I've seen Shakespeare done in drag. I've seen Richard III as a Nazi. I've seen “ The Tempest ” as science fiction and as a Greek travelogue. I've seen Prince Hal and Falstaff as homosexuals in Portland. I've seen “ King Lear ” as a samurai drama and “ Macbeth ” as a Mafia story, and two different “Romeo and Juliets” about ethnic difficulties in Manhattan (“ West Side Story ” and “China Girl”), but I have never seen anything remotely approaching the mess that the new punk version of “Romeo & Juliet” makes of Shakespeare's tragedy.

The desperation with which it tries to “update” the play and make it “relevant” is greatly depressing. In one grand but doomed gesture, writer-director Baz Luhrmann has made a film that (a) will dismay any lover of Shakespeare, and (b) bore anyone lured into the theater by promise of gang wars, MTV-style. This production was a very bad idea.

It begins with a TV anchor reporting on the deaths of Romeo and Juliet while the logo “Star Crossed Lovers” floats above her shoulder. We see newspaper headlines (the local paper is named “Verona Today”). There is a fast montage identifying the leading characters, and showing the city of Verona Beach dominated by two towering skyscrapers, topped with neon signs reading “Montague” and “Capulet.” And then we're plunged into a turf battle between the Montague Boys (one has “Montague” tattooed across the back of his scalp) and the Capulet Boys. When, in an early line of dialog, the word “swords” is used, we get a closeup of a Sword-brand handgun.

If the whole movie had been done in the breakneck, in-your-face style of the opening scenes, it wouldn't be Shakespeare, but at least it would have been something. But the movie lacks the nerve to cut entirely adrift from its literary roots, and grows badly confused as a result. The music is a clue. The sound track has rock, Latin and punk music, a children's choir, and a production number, but the balcony scene and a lot of the later stuff is scored for lush strings (and not scored well, either; this is Mantovani-land, a dim contrast to Nino Rota's great music for the Zeffirelli “ Romeo and Juliet ” in 1968).

Much of the dialogue is shouted unintelligibly, while the rest is recited dutifully, as in a high school production. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are talented and appealing young actors, but they're in over their heads here. There is a way to speak Shakespeare's language so that it can be heard and understood, and they have not mastered it.

The only actors in the film who seem completely at home, indeed, are Pete Postlethwaite , as Father Laurence, and Miriam Margolyes , as the Nurse. They know the words and the rhythm, the meaning and the music, and when they say something, we know what they've said. The other actors seem clueless, and Shakespeare's lines are either screamed or get all mushy. ( Brian Dennehy , as Romeo's father “Ted Montague,” would have been able to handle Shakespeare, but as nearly as I can recall he speaks not a single word in the entire movie--a victim, perhaps, of trims in post-production.) Not that there is much Shakespeare to be declaimed. The movie takes a “Shakespeare's greatest hits” approach, giving us about as much of the original as we'd find in “Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.” And even then it gets nervous and tarts things up. What can we make of a balcony scene that immediately leads to Romeo and Juliet falling into a swimming pool and reciting their best lines while treading water? I think back to the tender passion of the 1968 version, and I want to shout: “Romeo! Quick! Poison yourself!” The film's climactic scenes are more impressed by action-movie cliches than by the alleged source. Romeo pumps Tybalt full of lead while shouting incomprehensible lines. He tenderly undresses Juliet and they spend the night together. Shakespeare's death scene in the tomb lacked a dramatic payoff for Luhrmann, who has Juliet regain consciousness just as Romeo poisons himself, so that she can use her sweet alases while he can still hear them.

No doubt I will receive mail from readers accusing me of giving away the story's ending by revealing that Romeo and Juliet die. I had my answer all prepared: If you do not already know what happens to the star-crossed lovers, then you are not the audience this movie is aiming for. But, stay, my pen! Perhaps you are.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Rated PG-13 For Scenes Of Contemporary Violence and Some Sensuality

120 minutes

Claire Danes as Juliet Capulet

Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo Montague

Harold Perrineau as Mercutio

Pete Postlethwaite as Father Laurence

Paul Sorvino as Fulgencio Capulet

Brian Dennehy as Ted Montague

Directed by

• Baz Luhrmann

Screenplay by

• Craig Pearce

Based On The Play by

• William Shakespeare

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The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “star-crossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers.

Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families are enmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo and his friends attend a party at Juliet’s house in disguise—the two fall in love and quickly decide that they want to be married.

A friar secretly marries them, hoping to end the feud. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’s friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo then kills Tybalt and is banished. He spends that night with Juliet and then leaves for Mantua.

Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris. To avoid this marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, that makes her appear dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her family tomb when she awakes. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learns instead that she is dead. In the tomb, Romeo kills himself. Juliet wakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. Their deaths appear finally to end the feud.

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