There are many things that make the balcony scenes in both the Franco Zeffirelli and the Baz Luhrmann productions so prolific. First, in the Zeffirelli production (1968), the setting was at evening with Romeo behind an overgrown garden and Juliet upstairs in what appeared to be an old hillside stone villa. This setting worked for me because the scene showed the reality that the other movie lacked. In this particular scene I thought Romeo and Juliet’s performances were just perfect. Romeo seemed laid back but at the same time excited and sensual. I thought Juliet overacted and threw careless energy into the scene. She seemed very tense and fidgety. The choreography of this movie provided liveliness and bounce like I have never seen before. Juliet prances back and forth giggling playfully as Romeo climbs a tree–twice– and embraces her fervently. When the lovers part and Romeo descends, the camera shows their two hands in a close-up, then pans back into a long shot, the distance between them growing, Romeo still reaching up to Juliet, and she still reaching down to him.
The Baz Luhrmann production (1996) was also very industrious. The setting was a flashy and frenetic pop realm as a backdrop on the streets of the beach in Verona, with lights everywhere. Romeo approaches a modern stone castle complete with a balcony, staircase, elevator, security cameras, Christmas lights, and swimming pool. I thought that DiCaprio lacked the intensity that the comparing Romeo had at the beginning. But by the end of the scene, you can feel the passion rising while the two are in the water. Overall, I thought he performed a great act. I enjoyed Juliet’s performance a lot more in this version than the 1968 version.
The Essay on Romeo & Juliet – Why Is Cosmic And Celestial Imagery Used In Act 2, Scene 2?
William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, set in 15th century Verona, tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, who find each other in the midst of violence and rivalry fuelled by an ancient feud between their families. Within the well-known balcony scene in Act 2, Scene 2, both characters use a variety of imagery, including cosmic and celestial, that which relates to objects and scenery ...
Juliet was passive but filled with drive, and was filled with a sort of mystery- I just couldn’t figure out her strategy of acting out this scene, and that is what made her performance so great. The choreography in this scene was much different in comparison to the Zeffirelli scene, even without the contemporary backdrop. Romeo dodges security cameras to spy on Juliet, and climbs on the wall up to Juliet’s balcony. Juliet arrives down to the lower level from her elevator, and stays near the pool. Romeo startles Juliet, which causes the two to descend into the pool. The rest of the scene is conducted in- and sometimes under- the water.
I thought both scenes turned out to be very different, but had the same objective: to emphasize the affection that the two star-crossed lovers felt for each other. All four actors showed a fine performance each in their own ways by keeping the same intentions in mind. Although both scenes seemed as if they were completely opposite, they both portrayed the same great quality that this scene needed to be successful, and overall, they were both triumphant.
