by Jon Greene

Created on: May 13, 2009   Last Updated: May 14, 2009

There have been countless adaptations of Shakespeare's original play about star crossed lovers, ranging from the sensational to slightly bizarre. I myself went to see a version performed mainly by cars at the 2006 London Motor Show, there was little in the way of emotion or characterization which is not surprising seeing how the main cast consisted of Ford GTs. Other movie and TV versions of the play include a 1908 silent film, a 10 minute H&M advert and a 2005 Brazilian film about two rivaling football clubs. Many directors have chosen to modernize Romeo and Juliet and Baz Luhrmann does with extreme vigor, the opening ten minutes are a feast of gang warfare blended with lyrical language that give the characters of Benvolio and Tybalt an excellent and high-octane introduction. Luhrmann adapts the script incredibly well, consistently sticking to the original dialogue, yet using expert camera work in a way that compliments the on-screen action, with the longer speeches being broken down into digestible snippets.

The urban setting of Verona Beach captures the imagination of the modern day audience, and the gang tension between the Capulets and Montagues gives viewers something more up to date to relate to and grasp on to. From the beginning we see a sense of what can only be described as 'coolness', with the brawl showing of chrome plated guns, steel plated heels and Hawaiian shirts. The camera work is instrumental to the effect of the movie, with clever close ups and obscure angles to add to the glossy sheen of the movie. The fast pace of some of the scenes does mean that some of the character development suffers however, especially with characters such as Mercutio, Lord Capulet and Paris. This does take away from some of Shakespeare's original greatness, yet the finished product is little affected by this.

There is a great contrast between the flash gang scenes and the more gentle scenes with the two central characters. Luhrmann perfectly represents the romance and gentleness of the two lovers using many close ups and whispered dialogue, mixed with the mellow music and water symbolism. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play their respective roles with passion and feeling that brings a smile to the face of viewers, especially the scene involving the pool. Many of the early scenes with Romeo and Juliet give us a sense that they are in a way cut off from the tumultuous society around them, in their own world built of love. Once again the directorial style

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