Comparison Of Luhrmann's Romeo And Juliet

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When the famous story about the Capulets and the Montagues comes to mind, one probably pictures the stone-lined streets of Verona, Italy. However, director Baz Luhrmann has created a movie with the modern twist to portray the story. Taking place in a modern city called Verona Beach, the actors perform using the same lines from the original play. However, the clever cinematography allows modernization to occur, while still keeping the meaning and emotion of the original play. One example of this is with the use of music. During the Capulet ball scene, Romeo and Juliet encounter each other for the first time. When they see each other through the fish tank, the song “Kissing You” by Des’ree plays. This song is romantic, yet somewhat heavy. This indicates love, but the heaviness hints that it might not go as expected. Later on, when Juliet finds out that Romeo is a Montague, tense music plays in the background. This creates an anxious mood that represents what is probably going on in Juliet’s head- confusion and worry. …show more content…
When Juliet is waking up from her “death," the camera focuses on her movements to create intensity. The camera zooms in on her hand fidgeting, her eyelashes flickering, and finally, her eyes opening wide. This makes viewers want to leap out of their seats and stop Romeo from drinking the potion. Perhaps the most powerful element used are weather special effects. This combines the audio and visual aspects of cinematography. This is especially prominent in the fight scene between Mercutio and Tybalt. When Mercutio curses both of the families by saying “A plague o’ both your houses,” the storm picks up, indicating a metaphorical storm coming for both the Capulets and the Montagues. Furthermore, when Tybalt is killed by Romeo, sudden thunder and dark clouds can be heard and seen. This foreshadows the aforementioned “storm” that will soon take over the lives of Romeo and