How the opening fifteen minutes of Lurhmann’s Romeo and Juliet uses signs and symbols and technical codes to prepare the viewers for the rest of the story.

Luhrmann uses newsreel all throughout the first opening 15 minutes of Romeo and Juliet. He uses newsreel as an easy medium to show and put across certain points, for example to back up the prologue with photos and headlines from newspapers. Also using the Television at the start, with the newsreader reading the prologue on the news makes it easier for a modern audience to relate to the film and get interested in the plot. The news is usually associated with reality, what is really happening in the world or country or place so using the newsreader to say the prologue gives the film a more real feeling. Luhrmann uses newsreel to put across points to his viewers, he uses newspapers to make the prologue easier to understand for the viewers, the words of the prologue are put into headlines of newspapers and are used with the male voiceover of the prologue. Luhrmann introduces to the viewers many different things in a short space of time he uses camera shots an techniques to achieve this, he uses wipes to switch between different scenes and places for example he uses a wipe to quickly switch between the Montague boys in their car and a building that belongs to the Montague family business, Luhrmann does this to remind the viewers of the wealth of the family. Luhrmann also uses wipes to move along faster. Luhrmann speeds the film up in certain places to show enough to the viewers so that they know what is happening but not too fast so that they miss the concept, usually he does this in places within the film with a lot of action like in the gunfight between the Montagues and the Capulets as the petrol station.

The differences between the two families have been established visually by setting images that represent each family against one another. Newsreel and religious imagery are used to separate the families from one another. The two skyscrapers of Montague and Capulet are set beside each other at the start when the prologue is being reread. When the Capulet boys are introduced they are wearing Hawaiian style shirts, they are driving a yellow open-roofed car, playing loud rap music and shouting. The Montague boys also have blond hair and blue eyes. The Montagues are meant to be a stereotypical account of all-American boys. When the Capulet boys are introduced they are wearing dark clothes and Tybalt is wearing cowboy style metal heels. They are driving a roofed car, they are not playing loud music and the car is a dark blue colour. The Capulet boys have black hair and dark eyes and they are tanned. The Capulets are meant to be a stereotypical view of the Latin American ethnic group. There are differences in the way that each family behaves, the Montagues act cruder than the Capulets this is shown by the First Montague making crude gestures at the nuns and schoolgirls, the Montagues seem to panic more and show their fear or desperation as the first Montague when he sees Abra he gasps, and later when he angers Abra he makes little panicky squealing noises. The Second Montague falls back into the yellow car when Abra hisses his teeth guard at him. The Capulets are portrayed as being rough or more dangerous than the Montagues, they seem to tend to show and use their anger and power more than the Montagues, for example when Abra gets angry he bangs his fist on the steering wheel. The Capulets also don't seem to worry about offending the Montagues by taunting them, The Montagues reaction to being mocked is different from the Capulets, the Montagues just taunt the Capulets in revenge by the first Montague biting his thumb at them after the Capulets mock them for the second Montague falling back in the car after Abra hissed at them. But when The Capulets are angry they really show their anger. The crests on the guns also show the differences between the two families.

Signs and Symbols are used in the first 15 Minutes of the film to introduce themes into the film in a short space of time, to give visual images of the themes in the film, to back up the prologue and to make Romeo and Juliet an easier story to understand for a modern audience. Luhrmann uses religious imagery and fire as signs (fire as a natural motif) and symbols to introduce themes into the film. Luhrmann uses the Statue of Jesus which he repeatedly shows many times to get the point across to the audience that religion plays a big part in each of these families lives. Luhrmann uses the statue of Jesus to reinforce the theme of separation between the two families as he shows the statue placed between the two skyscrapers of Montague and Capulet. The theme of religion is also shown by the religious symbol of the cross is used on the font of the lettering of the prologue which is visually shown after it is read by the newsreader. The theme of religion is also shown by religious symbols on family members or things that belong to them, the Montague car has a religious picture on the dashboard, the crests on the guns have a cross on them, The waistcoat that Tybalt is wearing underneath his jacket has a picture of Jesus on it, one of the Capulets has a cross shaved in the hair on the back of his head. Fire is used to show the themes of anger and the feud between the two families it is also used to hint to the viewers what will happen later in the film. Fire is first used when the newsreel of the family trees is shown, it is used straight after and it indicates unrest and tension between the families. Fire is first used in the Phoenix gas sign, this sign indicates a petrol station but the Phoenix is a mythological bird that was connected with fire so it represents fire, which represents anger between the two families, this could be a hint that something will happen at the petrol station. At the petrol station the add fuel to your fire sign is shown, this is a hint that something will happen, and it raises the tension. When the gunfight occurs between the Montagues and the Capulets the first Montague shoots at the 'add more fuel to your fire' sign repeatedly reinforcing the fire and anger theme. Just before the climax of the 3rd Civil Brawl the petrol station catches fire and flames are shown.

Baz Lurhmann uses written codes at the start of the film to help the viewers understand the situation between the two families and the prologue. Luhrmann also uses written codes to explain and help the viewers understand the changes that he has made to modernise the film, for example the swords in the play are replaced with guns to modernise the film, Luhrmann explains this to the viewers by showing the lettering on Benvolios gun. Luhrmann visualises the prologue to make it easier to understand and to make sure that his viewers really know what is going on, he also supports the prologue with visual images. Luhrmann also uses written codes to reinforce themes in the film; he does this on newspaper headlines, for example Montague vs. Capulet. Luhrmann uses written codes in the form of the names of the newspapers, this tells the viewers where the film is set, as one newspaper is called Verona Today. Written codes are also used to introduce characters in the film, for example number plates on cars introduce the Montague and Capulet boys.

Luhrmann uses different types of camera shots to introduce the viewers to things in a short space of time. Luhrmann repeatedly focuses on the statue of Jesus at the beginning of the film to really make the audience realise that religion plays a big part in the families lives; he uses many different camera shots to do this. He also uses the different types of camera shots to help the viewers notice certain things like the connection between the guns and swords he shows a close-up of Benvolio's gun. Luhrmann uses different types of shot to make things clearer for the viewers. Luhrmann uses different camera shots to put across or reinforce points to the viewers. Luhrmann uses camera shots to help explain certain things or to make the audience pay close attention at something so he uses a close-up of the object. Luhrmann uses the fade camera technique when he shows the newsreel this makes it easy for a fast transition of information to the viewers, he also uses fade ins and outs when he wants to switch scenes or move to a different place. Luhrmann uses wipes to quickly change the camera, or to show a written code or give a piece of information to the viewers. Luhrmann uses close-ups to make an object clearer to the viewers, or to draw attention to something, Luhrmann usually uses close ups to introduce characters, or to make the viewers focus on them. Luhrmann uses an extreme close up to increase tension between the Montagues and the Capulets when he uses a close-up of Benvolios and Tybalt's eyes. Luhrmann uses an extreme long shot when he shows the statue of Jesus and the city from a birds-eye-view. Luhrmann uses long shot when the Montague car is driving along and the Montague boys are introduced. Luhrmann uses medium shot when he shows thing that are significant but of medium importance, where there is no special effect required to draw attention to the person or object but there is just the simple view of this person or object. Examples of Luhrmann using medium shot are of the cars at the petrol station and the Ladies college school bus.

There are visual links to other genres and films within the opening 15 minutes of Romeo and Juliet; Luhrmann has used a similar way of introducing his characters at the beginning. The Characters in Dynasty, which was a popular soap opera in the 1980's introduced its characters in much the same way: by them turning around to face the camera and putting their role beside then in lettering on the screen, Luhrmann has uses this method to introduce some characters. There are other similarities between Dynasty and Romeo and Juliet, in the opening of Dynasty there are scenes of the city shown from above, in the opening of Romeo and Juliet there are scenes of the city shown from above. In Dynasty the characters wealth is represented by a skyscraper, in Romeo and Juliet the families wealth is represented by skyscrapers. Wipes and similar camera angles to Romeo and Juliet are used in the beginning of Dynasty. Luhrmann takes many genres and puts them into Romeo and Juliet, he uses the western genre a lot when Tybalt is introduced as he has cowboy style metal heels. There are similarities between Tybalt and Clint Eastwood

In the western The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Clint Eastwood's character is very similar to Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet because in the Good the bad and the ugly Clint Eastwood's cigarette is almost symbolic and is very much part of his character, as is Tybalt's cigarette very much part of his character. Luhrmann draws attention to Tybalt's cigarette by the dropping and crunching out of the match that Tybalt used to light the cigarette with, also the dropping of Tybalt's cigarette sets the petrol station on fire. There are also similarities between the film The boys n' the Hood and Romeo and Juliet as Luhrmann uses the "Gansta" theme, the similarities between the films are with the cars used, the fighting and rivalry, the gang rivalry, the shooting and guns, the culture, the way they provoke each other with deliberate provocative acts, the way they pronounce the language and the culture. The effect that pastiche has in Romeo and Juliet is that the themes from it help the viewers get a better understanding of the story and the themes in the story, it helps the viewers relate to the themes in the film as it modernises the theme of rivalry in to gang fight, so pastiche helps modernise Romeo and Juliet.

Luhrmann uses music and sound to create a dramatic effect in Romeo and Juliet. At first Luhrmann uses operatic music to create a dramatic affect, this happens when the first line of the prologue is visualised. When the characters begin to be introduced operatic music begins again. Rap music is played when the Montague boys are introduced; this is to introduce the "gansta" theme into the film and to show that it represents the Montague boys. When the Capulets pull up outside the petrol station and Tybalt gets out, music that is similar to music in The Good the bad and the ugly is played to introduce a western theme into the film, it is also used to associate the Capulets with the western theme. The clinking of Tybalt's metal heels is heard also this is to draw attention to Tybalt's shoes and the western theme. When Abra is introduced the western themed music plays again this is to associate Abra with the western theme. When the second Montague sweeps his jacket back to reveal a gun with a shield on it western music is played, it is also played when Abra reveals his gun. When Benvolio is introduced a close up of his gun is shown, western themed music plays when his gun is shown, this could be to draw extra attention to the gun. The creaking sound effect of the 'add more fuel to your fire' sign is used to draw extra attention to this sign and the fire theme within the film. When Tybalt is introduced attention is drawn to his cigarette by the sound effect of the match being lit and the tinkling sound effect as it falls to the ground. When Tybalt is introduced western themed music plays. When Tybalt crunches his match out with the heel of his shoe the sound is exaggerated to draw attention to the match. During the Gun fight Western themed music plays. When the petrol station catches fire the dramatic operatic music is played again this is to remind the viewers of the images shown before when the same music was playing as images and themes were being shown to the viewers.

The opening 15 minutes of Lurhmann's Romeo and Juliet uses signs and symbols and technical codes to prepare the viewers for the rest of the story by introducing the themes and concepts of the film by using signs, symbols and technical codes to do this. In the opening the prologue is explained and supported by many visual images relating and explaining it, this prepares the viewers for the rest of the story as it explains the prologue, which is meant to prepare the viewers for the rest of the story, if the viewers understand the prologue they are prepared for the rest of the story. Luhrmann also helps introduce themes in the film such as conflict to the viewers to help them have a better understanding of the story of Romeo and Juliet and to make sure that the viewers know what is going on. In the opening of the film neither Romeo or Juliet is seen, but the play is about them, this is to because the begging of the film is to do with the conflict and the themes between the two families, it explains what the situation between the families is, not including Romeo or Juliet in the opening sequence shows that Romeo and Juliet have nothing to do with the conflict between the two families, the problem is not their fault and the quarrel is not between them but between other people: their relatives.

I think that the opening of the film does a good job in preparing the viewers for the rest of the film as it explains all the necessary things to help the viewers understand what is going on in the film. The opening of the film also interests the viewer and draws them into the film; this in a way also prepares them for the rest of the film.