Baz Lurhman Essay

In 1594 William Shakespeare wrote the romance Romeo and Juliet, probably one of his most famous bunks. This play was directed at an Elizabethan earreach. Since accordingly it has been shown at most theatres and cinemas for the middle-aged, amend mountain, a acceptable example of this was Franco Zefferellis photographic word picture in 1968. This version was a tradition Shakespeare format, it was filmed in an Italian city, Verona, in the 16th degree centigrade with all the traditional clothing and language. However, Baz Luhrmanns 1996 movie William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is a very accessible version of the play.His adaptation of Shakespeares classic news report has been mixed with a modern day society with guns and drugs but lull using the Elizabethan English. He updated almost everything in his film to reap the younger earshot. He was trying to achieve a box- moodyice success and in my opinion, and umpteen others he did succeed in his attempt in many an(prenom inal) ways. In the opening sequence the audience would immediately know that the film was directed at the younger audience and had been updated to the 21st century, as it starts off with a blank boob tube, this immediately shows the audience it is an updated version as the television is a 20th century invention.The camera zooms towards the TV and as it does a female news lector gives a vivid account of what is casualty and what to expect in the plot, yet to unfold. She is a middle aged cleaning woman of Caribbean culture and has the ability to present her narrative in a pull diction. This also shows the audience the film has been updated because up until 25 years ago the black race were a 2nd class race across countries and in Shakespeares time the black race would non get been in one of his plays. The profoundtrack starts to play, and as it does it tells the audience that the film is action packed.It starts to play after the prologue has finished being read by the news re ader and whilst it is playing the camera zooms into the TV it becomes distorted. There are then dissipated flashes of the guessings to come in the film, flashes of police helicopters, police, high rised buildings for the modern audience, they would immediately be familiar with the city and shows an older audience it not their type of film. The harmony becomes louder to give the film a dramatic effect, this makes the film intense.The audience is then shown skyscrapers that are cabbageped by the trade names, Capulet and Montague, this reinforces the conflict between the both families. The audiences now know that this not fair Verona in Italy but fictionalised Verona bound in America. The camera then pans out on the city. Pete Postlewaite, an English Shakespearean actor starts to read the prologue this shows that Baz Lurhanne chose his cast very carefully, he chose Pete Postlewaite to give the film more of a Shakespeare effect, as he does theres flashes of newspaper articles, i ntersperse of pictures and newspaper headlines of families arguments.He then introduces the families as they would in an American cop series, it shows a family member with their names below their picture, this shows the audience that the families arent noblemen from the 16th century but 21st century business/mobster/mafia men. Some characters had been updated as well as their names, for example, the Prince is now police chief Prince of Verona Beach police department. The cast were chosen to pull up younger audiences da Vinci DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, the rest of the players consist of an all star cast.Then the audience are introduced to the Montague boys as they are driving in a top muscle American car down a typical American highway. They have modern haircuts and tattoos this also shows the audiences this is a more modernised film. The audience then see them go into a gas station the audience is then introduced to the Capulets as the y pull into the gas station also, the whole pic is turned into a spaghetti western sandwich spoof this gives the film a prank effect.As the Capulets get out from their car there are conterminous ups of the Cuban heeled boots and when the fight starts between the Montagues and Capulets this is when the western effect starts. The intimately ups of one of the Capulets golden teeth, this is also typical Clint Eastwood effect. The slow motion dives and tear down the swinging sign at the gas station is also the spaghetti western effect. However the film has more updates through out the play such as the party that the Capulets have, the drug taking, car chases, alcohol and the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet is moved to a swimming pool.These are all modernised updates and would not have been in a Shakespeare play. In my opinion Baz Luhrmann shows a good adaptation of William Shakespeares well-known love story. He palmyly keeps the strike and the meaning of the plot while s till portraying the traditional and sea captain style. Despite Romeo and Juliet being a traditional play, Luhrmann makes his version stylised to attract younger audiences, making Shakespeare appeal to a wider range of people.It is clear that Baz Luhrmanns intentions were to make the film as if Shakespeare was directing and focusing it on people in the 20th century. By using modern music and sound effects as well as incorporating young modern actors, Baz Luhrmann portrays this in the film very well. Luhrmann set out to achieve a successful block-buster and I personally think he did achieve this and in many other peoples opinion also. However many people may diagree because it is not traditonal enough for a Shakespeare play.