The Contemporary Film
Romeo + Juliet is a Shakespearian production like no other. In fact, the film breaks away from almost every traditional concept of the original play as it attempts to update "the greatest love story the world has ever known".
Romeo + Juliet is the result of a unique vision from director, Baz Luhrmann. While the dialogue is strictly Shakespearian, the text has been edited by Luhrmann to better suit his interpretation. Many scenes have been cut, but he has kept those lines that are most relevant and most pivotal to the storyline. Actors do not give stereotypical, theatrical performances, but instead use their own modern style and Americanised accents. In fact, through the use of physical gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice, it is often not necessary to understand the words at all. The lavishly detailed settings, intensity of the music, and sweeping movements of the camera further exemplify the happenings of the movie. All this heightens the audience's accessibility of the film and makes it much less daunting for those not familiar or comfortable with Shakespeare's works.
Romeo + Juliet retains all the complexity of the play, yet also manages to offer a more direct approach that is easily accessible to all. In particular, it opens up the literary door to the younger generation and aims to increase their knowledge and appreciation of the play by presenting a powerful modern interpretation of the original tale.
To read more about my perceptions of the film and the influence it has had on today's youth, click here.
The Classic Play
Click here to read the Collins edition of Shakespeare's original play at Bookrags.com.
"Romeo and Juliet: The Contemporary Film,
The Classic Play"
Click
here to buy this book at amazon.com and read the play and
screenplay side by side, with an introduction by Baz Luhrmann.
