Comparing two film versions of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

In a contrast to this Luhrmann shot the film in Mexico but as if it is set in the film as Verona beach, Miami. This is because he needed it to be different from other versions so that people would be seeing a different take on the classic film and not a reproduction of what has been done so many times before it. This meant bringing it up to date with the interests that a teenage audience has. They may not even have read the play, but would still understand the words that came from Shakespeare's time. This was done by the way it has been decoded through sight rather than just sound making it understandable. This is true but he would have still needed to open it up to a wider range of people of all ages. More mature viewers would need to be thought about as well. How the cultural combination of the modern and retro is viewed. Baz uses the view of a big city because it gives an immediately modern feeling of being in the present tense but use of old language to give true portrayal of Shakespearean language. Baz's intention would have been for the audience to recognise it from what they already know giving instant familiarity to the story.

The first difference here is that in Zefferellis the prologue is read through once with a soft, quiet but formal tone of voice the title shown when the words star cross'd lovers is said this is to point out that the prologue is talking about 'Romeo and Juliet'. Many things are used to give the audience the feeling and sense it is set in the past with the use of old gothic type font and tradition music quite low in sound is heard. The scene behind it is of a panoramic view of the Italian landscape with a misty fog to give a calm, peaceful but unclear hazy view. The audience can see towers behind which then changes to a view of an empty courtyard with horses coming through the gates then slowly the mist rises. In addition to this bells can be heard ringing to give the feeling as people watching would know this can be a sign of death as in the story that inevitably Romeo and Juliet will die.

Alternatively to this Baz Luhrmann used the media to draw the teenage crowd in by using a picture of a TV first with static but then as if someone is turning it over which stereotyping that all teens flick through channels. The screen gradually gets bigger as a newsreader appears and like breaking news reads the prologue out and with the words in the caption reading 'star cross'd lovers' this shows reference to prologue. When she says the twelfth line of the prologue "Is now two hours' traffic of our stage" the director has added this as the prologue tells us what will happen in a shorter form off what is to come. So Luhrman ties this line in with the next scene as they fight as if on a stage and this causes traffic to build up people around and in cars are like the audience giving the line back its meaning. The camera then seems to jump into the screen and starts at one end of a main road with a statue supposed to be like a Jesus associated figure at the end as an indication of how the church and peoples beliefs and faith were involved. The families are seen as more of corporate rivals and that is where their hate for each other comes from. The road being down the middle splitting the Capulet's and Montague's apart as well as the figure in the middle that everyone's faith lies in. Next a family tree appears transparent showing the families on opposite side to each other with the statue in the middle but the picture behind is of a fire with smoke. This covering over the family trees as if they are gone or that it symbolise their hate for each other will consume them and their family members where it starts the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet as well as their pictures (of when they were younger) are on it are covered by the flames first. After these pictures of the destruction of the town that the families have caused is shown and how the police become involved.

Next the words 'In fair Verona' are shown with white writing and a black back ground this is so the words stand out in contrast so more chance of people reading them. This is followed by Pete Postlethwaite (who acts the part out of Friar Lawrence) reading the prologue this is now another way not just seeing it but hearing it repeated over so the audience remembers it. Then the picture of the road where the statue is down the very centre showing to the audience that their faiths and beliefs are nearly the same but the road down the centre with the 'CAPULET' sign on one side and the 'MONTAGUE' on the other showing the divide between not just the families but the business' that they own. Next between the destruction shown are front pages of newspapers with headlines such as 'Ancient Grudge', 'New Mutiny' and 'Civil Blood Makes Civil Hands Unclean' these are sections taken from the prologue and are emphasized to show they are important. As well as magazine covers with part head lines such as 'They Bleed' possibly referring to civil blood that is metaphorically being spilt. As well as 'Shoot forth thunder' showing another type of gun as well as the name thunder the destruction it could cause like the gun to people. Next each of the main characters are shown, their faces are zoomed in towards then a still shot is shown for a few seconds. This gives a style like element from the film 'Reservoir Dogs'. In this time their names are shown and who they are in relation to either Romeo or Juliet. Baz Luhrman has done this so that the audience know who the characters are. All though he has also give them a first name which in Zefferelli's he doesn't , for example 'Dave Paris' who Juliet's father wants her to later marry not because he is just a rich family but is higher in modern society as well as he is the governors son. Then again the prologue is one last time shown on the screen in words in half lines but too fast too see them all so the audience has to concentrate better to see more so later in the film they are more likely to be watching closer. Straight after this the same thing is done but with shots of future tense reference as far forward as the scene when Romeo comes back to what he thinks is his dead wife.

In the first scene Act1 scene1 of Zeferellis takes place in a court yard which has cobbled flooring and large brick walls surrounding it giving the feeling to an audience that it is a small town perhaps even village like image and that this would have been an average day for the people of Verona. It is in the morning going from quiet which is then followed immediately by a cacophony of noise of a busy market day crowed with people in full bright sun shining this is to show to the audience what a typical market day would be like. As if nothing unusual is going to happen.

The camera moves towards a few men walking through the market. He made them out to be rich and dignified and distinguished people until they open they begin to speak. The audience automatically know they are important as they are wearing a traditional outfit made with red and yellow material of frills and tights which is bright to show they are the Capulet family this type of clothing fits it with the idea that their jokes are crueler but make them look like jesters. This against the other people stands out as everyone else has dull, bland and ordinary colours clothes (for that period in time has) such as cream and brown shades. This is done on purpose so that they aren't taken notice to by people watching as not to distract them from the important characters. We also see men going around in stripes but two shades of blue who are also important as they are the Montague family. This is also on purpose to define and separate the characters just by sight. Even though this is done we can see that the towns people are crowded in around them and the audience can observe there reactions to see (if they don't understand what is happening) what the Shakespearean words are supposed to be telling the audience).This helps when the Capulet's start to talk about the Montague's. As they discuss this one of the puts his foot out and trips a Montague up showing the humorous side to the characters. The music that plays in the background doesn't give the impression very well that this is such a serious part even though the fact if they didn't brawl the Romeo and Juliet would be able to live happily ever after. When he bites his thumb and starts the brawl off this fight seems less intense the Luhrmann's even though one of the characters fighting gets the sword in his eye.

At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 1 in Luhrmann's version the title is shown with the words 'Romeo + Juliet' this draws attention that it is a cross another way of writing 'and' but a religious symbol at the same time. Next this scrolls to the left placing the picture of three males in a yellow car (in resemblance to the clothing in Zefferelli's). They are wearing Hawaiian shirts this is to define the Montague's as well as showing they are laid back type of people who like to have fun. One of them also has the word Montague tattooed on the back of his shaved head with a symbol of three hexagons in a pyramid as a corporate business symbol of who they are as well as having piercing and other tattoos. Then frame freezes and they are also given a title. This is brought together with the next shot of a building with the words of a sign reading 'Montague construction Retail'd to Posterity' this is meant to be old Shakespearean writing on a new type of media advertisement of the corporate company.

This is followed buy them pulling up to a gas station much like in the original script. Many detailed touches are added such as the personalised number plates for example 'Mon 005' possibly connection in peoples minds to James Bond 007 because of what happen in those genre type films. One of the Montague boys also licks his nipple in front of van full of women from a Nuns College showing that they feel like they can do what they want without being bothered about the consequences. They begin to talk of Capulets when they pull up at the other side behind the Montague's in the shot. We see a low to the ground shot of someone getting out at the same time western type of music begins to play helping the audience to remember old western movies which had gun slingers in it. Tybalt gets out drops a cigarette to it out emphasising his cowboy shoes hinting that cowboys like to fight. We next see Abra (shortened from Abraham) wearing a suede tan top with a leather jacket and black trousers and boots, a suave like Latino. This is about the same as what the rest of the Capulets are wearing as well as a large cross around his neck symbolising their religion.

Then he bears his teeth with the word sin engraved in silver cap across his teeth making the Montague's jump so the capulet's laugh at them showing they are just fooling around with them at this point. Capulet gets in car to leave. To show that the Capulet's think they are better than them, instead of getting straight out of the car he reverses it, spins it round then gets out this is used to show the way in which they try to intimidate the Montague's. One way that Luhrmann updated the film was to use guns instead of swords. He works round this by taking a shot of Benvolio coming out of a door puts his gun in the air which is a 'Sword 9mm' and zooms in on the brand and freezes the frame. This highlights it so the audience reads it. To emphasize the tension in the air it goes quiet for a few seconds. When Tybalt walks out of the shop he lights a cigar and drops it to the floor. The camera then follows this down to his feet where we are shown the back of his boots. This attention to detail is added as his boots have a cat on each with fangs rather than teeth as he is given the title 'The Prince of Cats'. As this happens the western type music starts up again Tybalt opens his jacket as he says 'Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death' he on purposely opens his jacket which his top has a religious picture on it point out its importance as well as the camera zooming in on his gun. The next use of camera work to show tension of the characters faces are when in close up to Tybalt's eyes then cuts straight to Benvolio's.

In conclusion to what I have wrote I still preferred Baz Luhrmann's version of 'Romeo and Juliet', this is because the film brought to my attention that although Shakespeare wrote this play the interpretation from this particular director brought it up to date and gave a new perspective on a play that has been repeated by numerous other directors. It made the play more interesting, understandable and easier to follow. The cliché of it being a tragedy but for some reason we still have to laugh at the unusual way that he has portrayed an old classic. The way Luhrmann has added small touches that explain what characters are saying just by looking at what is happening. I think that this also type casts me into the audience that he needed to watch it to make it such a success showing it really has worked. As well as actually having a favourite character because of the actor who plays him Harold Perrineau. The character Mercucio was livened up in the play with his vivacious camp type attitude but he still did the death scene with great emotion. This means that the actors can also change how things are seen and Luhrmann chose as I see it the right one.

I feel that the other version in my eyes lacked the excitement that was needed to keep my interest. The characters besides Romeo and Juliet didn't really have anything that truly separated them from each other as individuals and was lost in the fight scene to a blur of yellow, red and blue. The scenes were tedious and were dragged out far too long. The only thing I thought seemed well put together was the attention to detail on the costumes. Overall though the replication of Shakespeare's play was very good and believe that people that went to see it would have liked it.