William Shakespeare’s 15 th century play “Romeo & Juliet” has been recreated and turned into a film that has gained international prominence because of the wonderful direction by Baz Luhrmann. Unlike Shakespeare’s play, Luhrmann’s film has been tied into the modern era using a visual feast of fast cars, gunfights and passionate young love all set to a hip soundtrack. All these are great for high school students as it is set to a modern era that helps them relate to the film and to keep them focused as well as interested. While set in the modern era Shakespearean language is still used though the film but is much easier to understand as students can relate to the settings, moods and the religious symbols that are used continuously throughout the film. This helps them understand the language and helps them follow the film. The film “Romeo & Juliet is about a pair of “star crossed” lovers Romeo (Leonardo Dicaprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes).
Romeo belongs to the great family of the “Montague’s” that has been involved in an “Ancient Mutiny” with Juliet’s family, the great “Capulet’s.” The Capulet are always seen wearing dark clothes & always looking for a brawl with any Montague they can find. The original “Shakespeare’s” act was set in northern Italy but Baz Luhrmann’s version is set in modern Verona, Miami. There is a lot of religious symbols used throughout the film such as white doves to symbolize peace and happiness, thunder for a sign of troubled times and then holy crosses as a religious key symbol. The film is very surreal in many ways.
The Essay on Luhrmanns Film Version Romeo Juliet
... film used guns and Zeffirellis film used swords. Another technique that Luhrmann used, was the old language. The whole film was very, very modern, but Luhrmann ... two versions of Romeo and Juliet. One was made in 1968 by a man called Franco Zeffirelli and was set in Verona, in ...
They just walk around with their pistol guns, have gunfights in the middle of town, the use of olden style language while set in modern Verona, Miami, all the use of religious symbols and the use of slow motion & still shots through action scenes. All these factors make a great action packed film filled with surrealism. This movie is an excellent recommendation for a high school based education unit although irrelevant to a modern private lifestyle. The language spoken is a little hard to follow but the modern actors & modern setting make up for this. These factors also help you catch up if you get confused or lost in the film. As Shakespeare was one of the most famous English writers in history it is relevant to study in English.
Luhrmann’s film version of William Shakespeare’s 500-year-old play has been turned into one of the best English movies ever. Overall Baz Luhrmann has done an exceptional job in recreating an ancient act into a modern masterpiece, the film “Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.”.
