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| "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny..." |
| William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet |
| Starring: Claire Danes, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau Director: Baz Luhrmann Writers: William Shakespeare, Craig Pearce 20th Century Fox |
| Introduction | 10 Things I Hate About You | Romeo + Juliet | Hamlet |
| The first two minutes of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet include an anchorwoman reading the prologue. She is replaced by a male voice repeating the prologue. His words sometimes flash on the screen between shots of the story we are about to see, the center of Verona Beach, magazines with cover stories of the Capulet-Montague feud, fighting between the two families as well as "introductions" to the characters. All this occurs in just two minutes and sets an incredibly fast pace for the film that continues up until the moment Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulet mansion. There are no actual product placements in the film. The people of Verona Beach read Timely and drink L'Amour Cola. Instead of swords and daggers, the fighting families shoot Sword Guns. |
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| Romeo + Juliet was either embraced or rebuffed by critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a fresh rating of 77%. "What Luhrmann has trashed is the tight corsets that have literally and symbolically stifled Shakespeare's passion and fire," said Sean Means. Many critics heaped praise on Claire Danes' portrayal of Juliet, saying she brought a unique complexity to the role. During the "balcony" scene (which is moved to a swimming pool below the balcony)when Juliet speaks the line "...or any other part belonging to a man" Danes smiles slyly and we know exactly what parts she's thinking of. On the other hand, several critics found the transformation appalling. "Much of the dialogue is shouted unintelligibly, while the rest is recited dutifully, as in a high school production," said Roger Ebert. |
| Here, for perhaps one of the few times on screen, Romeo and Juliet are truly teenagers -- complete with raging hormones and dirty thoughts. It is perhaps one of the things that drew teens to the film. The film grossed $11 million its opening weekend, a significant amount considering its $14 million budget. Besides the appeal of its leads, Twentieth Century Fox spent a great deal of money on advertising. One could not have escaped one of the many ads. Perhaps the most famous version after Zefferelli's, this film got quite a bit of attention.. The film is not without its flaws. The prince becomes Cpt. Prince, Chief of Police. Chiefs of police do not have the authority to banish anyone, making Romeo's punishment seem absurd. One of the strengths of this adaptation, however, is that it knows what it is -- a postmodern spectacle. Romeo and Juliet are trapped within the fast paced world of Verona Beach. The film nods to other genres -- the familiar whistling of a western can be heard in the opening fight. Tybalt's gun antics could match those of any cowboy. The choice of DiCaprio as Romeo calls to mind James Dean and many of his solo scenes capture him in this light -- the sensitive loner. The party scene is a cross between a Fellini comedy and a Busby Berkely musical. Even before the film starts, there is a music video where scenes of the film are set to a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" that starts out as an all boy choir rendition and turns into a techno mix. It fits the tone of the film and the romance perfectly. At the end of the film, all seem to be asking themselves "Why do we scream at each other." It's as much about the Montague-Capulet feud as it is about modern society. |
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| The Translation |
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| The Critics |
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| In Conclusion |